The 48th Annual General Assembly of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa will hold from 11th-14th October 2018 at the AVANI Victoria Falls Resort in Livingstone, Zambia. South African Airways (SAA) is host of this year’s Assembly themed, ‘Enabling African Airline Service Excellence’.
The Assembly is expected to attract around 300 delegates, comprising leading airline industry executives and government policy makers from Southern Africa’s airlines, airports, air navigation services, regulatory bodies as well as aircraft and engine manufacturers, ground handling service providers and associated businesses.
Chris Zweigenthal, AASA’s CEO, explains: “The Africa Union’s initiatives to establish the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM)to complement the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) requires political will and muscle; but it will be irrelevant unless travellers, importers and exporters are provided with an end-to-end air transport system and user experience that is smooth, seamless, stress-free and affordable.”
He adds: “As an industry, we are concerned with closing those gaps between customers’ expectations and their experiences. Hence, the assembly’s theme: “Enabling African Airline Service Excellence”. The gathering will provide the forum for the stakeholders in governments and industry to jointly examine the areas that impact customer experience and opportunities to improve them at all points from start to end, from the keyboard, via the kerbside, at the airports and in our skies.”
Notable professionals expected to speak at the event includes Mandi E.P. Samson, AASA, Chairperson and Acting Managing Director of Air Namibia; Paul Steele, IATA Senior VP, Member and External Relations, and Corporate Secretary; Agness Chaila, Zambia Airports Company Limited (ZACL), Director Airport Services; Erik Venter
Comair Limited, CEO, and many others.
AASA is a non-profit industry body mandated to represent the common interests of its 19 member airlines in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. It works closely with the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to lobby and work with governments, regulators and service providers on industry-wide matters.