The African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) has marked its fifth anniversary, having been launched on May 15 at EBACE 2012. 

To celebrate the successful establishment of the dynamic organization, AfBAA launched AfBAC EXPO, Africa’s first dedicated Business Aviation Conference, Exhibition and Static Display, at the African Pavilion – Booth V70 – during this year’s EBACE from May 22 to 24. 

AfBAC EXPO will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa from November 29 to December 1, 2017 and will be of interest to any international professional or business operating, or planning to operate in Africa.

The conference objective is to inspire and inform through a variety of mediums including authoritative presentations from industry leaders, dynamic panel discussions from experts in their field, video presentations from international companies, and a selection of workshops that will discuss current topics affecting business aviation development in Africa. 

Training sessions on safety and regulation will run in parallel, as will an afternoon session dedicated to the booming area of remotely piloted aerial systems, RPAS. Building on the success of the AfBAC 2016 conference, content will also be delivered by professionals from outside the aviation sector who will discuss alternative business concepts, and their potential application within the aviation arena. 

Once again networking and participation will be encouraged with a programme of social events taking centre stage, whilst during the conference interactive polling and digital questioning will provide delegates with the opportunity to share their feedback in real time. 

“We have achieved much in five years, but we know there is still much to do as our journey has only really just begun,” said Tarek Ragheb, Founding Chairman of AfBAA. “We recognise that aviation in Africa doesn’t work in global or commercial isolation, which is why we launched AfBAC EXPO at EBACE. We wanted to bring together international professionals to share experience and knowledge in a dedicated environment. With Europe’s strong connections to the continent, we garnered a lot of interest during EBACE,” he added. 

AFBAC EXPO will also incorporate an exhibition area for companies wishing to showcase the latest innovations, products and services, as well as a static display which is expected to include around 15 aircraft from international OEMS and local operators. 

Site visits to FBOs and operators at Lanseria Airport will be part of the schedule. It is anticipated that the event will welcome visitors representing the full spectrum of the business aviation sector.

Access Africa, a new international initiative from AfBAA, was also launched at EBACE. The forum has been created to facilitate better understanding of what is required to undertake business within the African business aviation sector. 

The plan is for the new event to be held during international aviation conferences around the globe. During the 90-minute session, attendees will be transported to Africa, through a trio of concise presentations from leading African business aviation experts, who will outline local issues, share anecdotal experiences, detail what works, and importantly what does not; as well as highlight the points to consider when taking the first steps into Africa

“One of AfBAA’s guiding principles is to raise awareness of the continent’s potential and that is what drives us to create these types of events. We are aware that many European companies are interested in developing African business but don’t necessarily have the information they need to hand. Access Africa is about providing tangible, practical information to support these professionals’ endeavours,” says Rady Fahmy, CEO of AfBAA. Access Africa is the second international event organized by AfBAA, the first being the annual African Pavilion at EBACE, and represents the sixth event in the growing portfolio of AfBAA meetings. Access Africa took place on May 22 in Geneva.