If Africa is to seize the opportunities presented by the growing air cargo market, it is critical that it develops at least three – or even more – hubs on the continent. This was due to the sheer size of the continent, said Sanjeev Gadhia, chief executive officer at Astral Aviation. “It is simply not possible to serve Africa efficiently if one is looking at only one airfreight hub. In our opinion, there must be at least three hubs on the continent – one in each region serving the west, the east and the south.”Tony Frost, chairman of the Aviation Development Foundation, said a minimum of three hubs was required, although four would be far better. “Not only do we need to create more hubs, but they must be well-managed and designated by the African Union. These central airfreight hubs need to be well connected to other transport infrastructure such as road and rail, but also seaports.” According to Frost, there is a dire need to invest in cutting-edge infrastructure on the continent to boost the airfreight sector. “It cannot be emphasised enough that transport is an economic driver for the continent. If we want to compete with the world, then we need to develop the necessary infrastructure that will allow us to do just that.” In addition, he said, if the continent was serious about growing airlines and the air business in general, it needed to rid itself of the silo approach to development and airline ownership. “It is also pertinent that we get rid of poorly run state or ego airlines. If one is carrying a f lag on an aircraft tail into a country that no one recognises or cares about, and that is unprofitable, there is no hope of growing our air sector.” He said governments worldwide had generally failed miserably when they had tried to run airlines. In addition, government involvement in airlines created unfair competition that damaged the industry more than helping it.He also said the days of inadequately financing airlines was over, while unnecessary and burdensome bureaucracy was further crippling what could be a thriving industry.“ We live on a continent that loves regulation. We are overregulated and most of the rules are obtuse, to say the least. If we want to economically grow this continent, in particular concerning aviation, we need some real change.” The air sector needed to take a collaborative continental approach, improve governance and drive airlines commercially rather than having state-owned lines just for the sake of it, said Frost.“ Smooth and easy connectivity, open access with clear and easy multi-transport links is what is required. We need hubs that allow cargo to f low. Flexibility and agility are key to success in these times,” concluded Frost
