North African airlines join key summit to discuss future

Executives from 17 African airlines including Royal Air Maroc and Ethiopian Airlines have been in South Africa where executives from General Electric's two aviation businesses organised and hosted a three-day summit to discuss opportunities and issues related to growth in the aviation sector.

GE Aviation, provider of jet and turboprop engines and avionics, and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the aircraft leasing and financing unit of GE, jointly organised and hosted the conference entitled “Shaping the Future of Aviation in Africa.” It was the first event of its kind in the region.

“We created an opportunity for GE to pull together the leaders in the African airline industry to discuss growth opportunities and shared challenges,” said Jonty Nel, GECAS senior vice president and region manager for Africa.

Sixty-seven executives representing GE and airlines, including senior leaders from Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, and others, attended the invitation-only event.