In May 2000, renowned financial magazine The Economist ran with a front page header ‘Africa, the hopeless continent’. It did not make for happy reading and apportioned blame for the dire straits to acts of men.

Just over a decade later the Economist’s 3 March 2013 issue published the feature ‘Africa rising: a hopeful continent’ stating that Africa has come a long way in a decade and is now the world’s fastest growing continent economically. Currently, ten of the world’s top 20 fastest growing economies are African, and the number of African billionaires increased in 2012 by 14 per cent. It is no surprise that business jet activity is matching this growth with factors such as the continent’s vast size, restricted internal scheduled airline routes, convenience for executives and the remoteness of many growing economic areas, specifically oil and mineral rich locations, supporting the need for private and charter flights.

Business aviation has become a necessary tool and is increasingly being recognised as an economic driver. The formation of the African Business Aviation Association just under a year ago demonstrates that the African market is now taking itself seriously and is aiming to ensure the rest of the world does too. A professional, well funded association, it is advocating the importance of business aviation for continued progress, is actively lobbying African governments to support development of the necessary infrastructure and encouraging any aviation entity with genuine business interests in Africa to become members, so adding value for all.

In January 2013 it published an inaugural White Paper which addressed the barriers to growth in the region. Entitled ‘African Business Aviation Infrastructure Challenges,’ the paper analyses the range of issues facing African business aviation. For aircraft owners and operators it initially makes for unhappy reading. An absence of or degrading infrastructure, security and safety concerns, exceptionally high landing fees, manpower shortages, insufficient training, non-compliance with legal requirements, taxation and a general mis-conception across the continent about how business aviation can support economic development are all listed as areas that threaten to limit any kind of change in the business aviation structure.

However, all is not lost as the paper also provides a list of recommendations that aim to support and encourage accelerated business aviation infrastructural development. Suggestions include increasing dialogue with Transport Ministries of African governments, participation at national and international aviation air shows and meetings to raise visibility, lobbying of appropriate bodies for refined regulatory statutes and the need to advocate the benefits of business aviation to governments, relevant associations and the business community.

AfBAA’s White Paper is a turning point as it provides a coherent future strategy that will be acted out by professionals within the industry. For the first time ever, African owners, local operators, and the international business aviation community in general have a body that is concerned about its sector and will actively lobby on its behalf. On a continent as disparate as Africa this will bring great value to the sector. AfBAA has already held its first meeting since the publication with founding members convening in Morocco in late February to discuss ‘what next?’ Members acknowledged the many issues to be addressed and prioritised the key concerns affecting day to day operations. Dealing with complex and unfair taxation that has the potential to make operating aircraft economically unviable, legal restrictions to registration and operation of business aircraft, understanding of and the need to align with international standards are all high on the to-do list. Unsurprisingly, safety aspects are of concern too. While Africa is rapidly developing, political instability, natural disasters and terrorism still remain problems for those utilising business aviation.

Looking to the future, it will be the acts of men that will ensure the continent builds a strategically refined business aviation model that can support the overall growth of the African economy. As AfBAA strengthens its lobbying capabilities and African entrepreneurs present a vision increasingly supported by local governments, the growth of business aviation in Africa will not only be valuable for the continent, it will reflect back onto international economies and the global executive aviation market