AfBAA’s First Independent Chapter Launched at Inaugural Ethiopian Country Roundtable

Aug. 23, 2016

The African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) launched its first independent Chapter on 9 August 2016, when the AfBAA Ethiopia Chapter was founded in Addis Ababa.

Ms. Margareth Kyarwenda, Secretary General of AAATO, Mr. Zemedeneh Negatu, Managing Partner of Ernst & Young Ethiopia, Mr. Stanley Joseph, Managing Director of KALC, Mr. Pierre Lucas, Chief of WFP/UNHAS Ethiopia, Captain Solomon Gizaw, Managing Director of Abyssinian Flight Services who together debated core issues effecting Ethiopia’s Business Aviation development.

The African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) launched its first independent Chapter on 9 August 2016, when the AfBAA Ethiopia Chapter was founded in Addis Ababa. The meeting, which was also the first in a series of AfBAA Country Roundtables, was attended by almost 40 delegates. Representatives from both the public and private sectors discussed the current state of Business Aviation in Ethiopia, and how best to enhance the industry, and its anticipated growth.

AfBAA’s Executive Director, Mr. Rady Fahmy, highlighted that the Association anticipates Ethiopia will witness major growth in the coming decade following the success of its commercial airline. “We believe it is inevitable that Ethiopia will join, or perhaps lead Africa in business aviation, just like it currently does in commercial aviation,” Fahmy said about the country’s possibilities. Dawit Lemma, MD and founder of Ethiopia-based Krimson will lead the AfBAA-Ethiopia Chapter as President. “It is my mandate to establish and promote a thriving Business Aviation sector in Ethiopia. It is this vision that I am here to make a reality,” he said on welcoming delegates to the meeting.

The Chapter has been created to support and enable the predicted development. Members are being encouraged to actively participate in the creation of a document that will identify the challenges that private operators face, and suggest solutions to alleviate those challenges. The final document, “Telling the Right Story” which will outline the reality of Ethiopian Business Aviation, the issues, and prospects, will be shared with the Ethiopian government officials in a private meeting in mid-September.

About AfBAA
The African Business Aviation Association was launched in May 2012 to represent the interests of Africa’s aircraft owners, operators, and suppliers to the Business Aviation community in a single voice. AfBAA currently has 118 members in total.

AfBAA’s primary objective is to promote the understanding and benefits that Business Aviation provides for the Continent’s economic development and prosperity through advocacy.

As an active, well funded, professionally run organisation AfBAA is committed to increasing membership, raising awareness of the Association internally and externally in Africa and supporting all entities involved in Business Aviation in Africa.

Chairman Tarek Ragheb, and Executive Director Rady Fahmy, work with the Founding Members to lead development of the Association.

www.afbaa.org