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On the sidelines of the 2026 African Air Transport Convention, both organizations agreed on an ambitious roadmap to accelerate the training of the specialists Africa’s aviation sector needs most.
On the sidelines of the African Air Transport Convention & EXPO 2026 (AFCAC 2026), ITAérea Aeronautical Business School and the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) held a high-level bilateral working session on June 18, 2026, bringing together Ms. Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General of AFCAC, and Mr. Romuald Ngueyap, Africa Regional Manager of ITAérea.
The meeting marked a decisive milestone in the cooperation between both organizations, with the activation of the renewed Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2026, and the announcement of concrete new measures to scale up professional training across the continent.
A Partnership Delivering Real Results
Since the launch of the AWAYA Scholarship Programme — the flagship initiative born from the ITAérea–AFCAC partnership — the results speak for themselves:
- Over 200 aviation professionals from +40 African countries have benefited from the programme to date;
- 1 in 4 recipients is enrolled in a Master’s degree focused on critical technologies — artificial intelligence for aviation, cybersecurity, or advanced air mobility;
- New cohorts are currently in training, reflecting sustained and growing demand across the continent.
These figures underscore a conviction shared by both organizations: technology without talent is just expensive equipment. The real driver of transformation for African aviation is the empowerment of its people.
New Commitments to Go Further
The renewed MoU introduces two structural advances:
- The AWAYA Scholarship now launched twice a year. Previously offered once annually, the partial scholarship will now open two intake cycles per year — doubling access opportunities for African aviation professionals seeking to upskill.
- Specialized African experts designated as Visiting Lecturers. Subject-matter experts from across the continent will be integrated into ITAérea’s programmes as guest lecturers, embedding a logic of reciprocity and continental expertise into the curriculum itself.
7 Specialized Masters: A Training Portfolio Built for Africa’s Challenges
To address the strategic needs of African aviation, ITAérea offers 7 internationally recognized Master’s degrees, 100% online, 12 months in duration, delivered in English:
| MBAAM | Master of Business Administration in Aviation Management |
| MATSM | Master in Sustainable Air Transport Management |
| MAAS | Master in Airport and Aeronautical Safety Management |
| MAAM | Master in Advanced Air Mobility |
| MIAL | Master in International Air Law |
| MAIDA | Master of Artificial Intelligence and Digitalisation for Aviation |
| MACS | Master in Aviation Cybersecurity |
Together, these programmes span the full spectrum of strategic aviation disciplines — from business management and international law to the defining challenges of the coming decade: sustainability, cybersecurity, AI, and the future of airspace.
ITAérea is a member of the ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS network and an institutional partner of ACI WORLD, UNITAR, and AFCAC — ensuring its qualifications carry the highest level of international recognition.
A Symbolic Gesture, A Shared Vision
The session concluded with a meaningful exchange of gifts. ITAérea presented Ms. Adeyemi with a token of appreciation, in recognition of AFCAC’s sustained leadership in continental capacity-building. In return, AFCAC offered ITAérea a gift symbolizing African unity — a powerful image of the shared vision that drives this partnership: an African aviation community that is connected, sovereign, and led by its own experts.
