Following hard on the heels of the confirmation of the new African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) leadership team, which confirmed Dawit Lemma as chairperson and Craig Middleton as vice chair, the executives have forged plans to renew AfBAA's mission, vision and goals. To meet the dynamic needs of an organisation that represents some 40 different civil aviation authorities across the continent, a broad range of aviation operations and a diverse membership, Lemma and Middleton will build on key pillars to generate momentum, raise visibility and demonstrate credibility across the continent and internationally.

The priorities include listening to and advocating for members on issues identified as the most pressing to advance African business aviation. “We know that our members rely on us to lobby on their behalf, identify common issues that need resolving and act as a single voice with regulators, industry and international organisations, so identifying the main concerns and creating strategy to resolve them is top of our list,” explains Lemma, confirming the board will be reaching out to members to establish what they want the organisation to focus on.

To support this activity, Lemma also plans to introduce a new governance committee run by a professional secretariat to define essential processes for streamlined environmental, social and governance policy. Strengthened communications between the organisation and its members is also a priority to stimulate interaction and generate new memberships. “Africa is unique in that many of our aircraft operators fall into the general aviation segment, which is often ignored, yet these aircraft represent the heart and soul of business aviation across the continent, as farmers, miners, remote construction workers, medevac and other industries frequently use business aviation services. We want to encourage them to join the association so we can help support their diverse needs,” says Lemma about the new members he's looking to attract. Advanced air mobility, drone and remotely piloted aerial vehicle professionals will also be welcomed as Africa becomes a test-bed for many of these next-gen aviation sectors.

This will be underpinned by more active marketing and communications activity locally, nationally and internationally to highlight AfBAA activity, successes and news. “AfBAA has been relatively quiet on this front, and we want to build momentum again by raising the profile, adding new AfBAA events and showcasing the benefits of doing business with African aviation companies,” remarks Middleton. The introduction of North, South, East and West AfBAA chapters will make taking advantage of the association benefits easier. “We are a huge continent, and with these cardinal chapters we can learn, share and evolve business aviation together as we meet these differing regions' needs,” adds Middleton.

Committees that focus on training, safety management and infrastructure improvement, as well as identifying ways of attracting new human resources to the industry, all of which are vital to the success of the sector, will also be on the agenda.

Lemma and Middleton have been involved with AfBAA since its inception in 2012 and have had significant experience within the organisation serving on various committees and are familiar with its members and their needs. This is complemented by extensive experience running business aviation operations across the continent and internationally, a powerful combination that brings valuable experience, knowledge and an impressive network to the leadership roles.

“We have identified these priorities as critical for the association's future growth and are looking forward to actioning them with our board. We are both committed to supporting AfBAA's guiding principle of presenting a united voice of African business aviation within the continent and beyond to enhance the sector's potential, highlight the opportunities and raise industry standards for operations across the continent,” concludes Lemma.