Kigali, 11 September 2018:Minister of State in charge of Transport, Hon. Eng. Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye has officiated the launch ceremony of Ground Handling International (GHI) 4th African Stakeholders' Conferenceheld in Kigali under the patronage of the Government of Rwanda and in partnership with the AviAssist Foundation – an organization dedicated to promoting professionalism in African aviation safety; AviaDev - a forum focusing on growing connectivity from and within Africa; and the flag carrier airline of Rwanda RwandAir.

GHI's 4th African Stakeholders' Conference in Kigali provides a unique platform for the continent’s aviation players –including handlers, airlines, airports and regulators – to work together on delivering a blueprint for sustainable growth, plus capitalize on extensive networking opportunities with our One-to-One Meetings service.

This year's conference in Kigali is held as part of a dedicated African Aviation Week, championing best practice, market liberalization and world-class safety standards across the continent.

Speaking on behalf of Government of Rwanda, Minister of State in charge of Transport urged participants to come up with resolutions making impact to the development of African Aviation Industry. “I expect heated and constructive debates during the discussion of the presentations so that the resolutions derived from your three days’ work can make impact to the development of African Aviation Industry,” Minister Uwihanganye told the participants adding that “the conference is focusing on stakeholder collaboration for air transport development through liberalization, embedding a world-class safety culture on the African apron, interactive workshop: breaking down the barriers to safety excellence, achieving safety, quality and efficiency through employee excellence.”

The African aviation market is tipped to be the world’s fastest growing aviation market over the next 20 years with nearly 6% growth by 2036 and an extra 274 million passengers a year. The Aviation Week aims to support that growth in an orderly and safe manner. The events in the African Aviation Week will assist regional stakeholders in overcoming barriers to growth.