Increased Regional Cooperation Discussed at African Aviation Conference

Speakers at last week's 17th Annual Aviation & Allied Business Leadership Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania called for increased cooperation among African carriers according to recent news reports. See Leaders Urge More Investments, Cooperation in Aviation Industry, allAfrica.com, Sept. 5, 2011, (available here). President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, argued African nations will need to move away from protectionism in favor of greater liberalization and integration among their aviation industries in order to compete with European carriers. Other key topics included safety and security and the need for increased investment. Additionally, Tanzania's Transport Minister Omari Nundu announced that Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), Tanzania's national airline which has been grounded since March 2011, was ready to resume flying. See Daniel Semberya, Kikwete Advises on Air Transport Investment, East African Business Week, September 5, 2011 (available here).