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Lomé, Togo — June 18, 2026
At the African Air Transport Convention & EXPO 2026, hosted by the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) in Lomé, Togo, ITAérea Africa Regional Manager Romuald Ngueyap joined Session 7 on “Innovation and Technology for Africa’s Air Transport Future” — bringing to the panel a perspective shaped by years at the intersection of aviation education and industry development across the continent.
The real barrier is not the technology
When asked about the most common obstacles to technology implementation across African States, the answer was clear:
“The barrier is rarely the technology itself. The barrier is the human capital to absorb, implement, and sustain it. States import systems, sign contracts, the hardware arrives — and then the technology sits underutilized, because the people operating it weren’t trained for it, the regulators weren’t prepared to oversee it, and there’s no local talent pipeline to maintain it.”
This is precisely the gap that ITAérea set out to address through its partnership with AFCAC. The AWAYA Scholarship Program — launched in collaboration with the African Civil Aviation Commission — has trained more than 200 aviation professionals from 32 African countries over the past two years. Forty percent are women. A quarter of enrolled professionals have specifically chosen the three Masters dedicated to the technologies reshaping the industry: MAIDA (AI & Digitalisation for Aviation), MACS (Aviation Cybersecurity), and MAAM (Advanced Air Mobility).
These are not theoretical programs. They are built for the professionals who will sit in the rooms where these decisions get made.
Three barriers, three recommendations
Beyond human capital, two additional structural barriers were identified:
Regulatory fragmentation. Africa has 54 States and 54 regulatory frameworks, with very little harmonization around emerging technologies. A drone operator certified in one country cannot operate in the next. An AI system approved by one authority faces a completely different process across the border. “Technology needs regional regulatory frameworks to move from pilot project to continental solution — and that requires regulators who speak the same technical language.”
The pilot project trap. Africa sees genuine innovation — but it rarely scales, because the funding model doesn’t support institutionalization. A donor funds a 12-month trial, it works, the funding ends, and nothing becomes permanent. “Real technology adoption requires States to move from project-based funding to budget-line commitments. Innovation needs to become a recurring line in the CAA, airport, and airline budget — not a special grant.”
One action before 2030
When panelists were asked for a single human capital priority, ITAérea’s recommendation was unambiguous:
“Mandate that every aviation authority has at least one certified specialist in each of the three critical domains — cybersecurity, AI & data systems, and advanced air mobility — by 2030. Not a generalist who attended a workshop. A credentialed specialist.”
Drones are already operating across the continent. AI is already being used in traffic flow management. Cyber attacks on aviation infrastructure are real and increasing. Yet regulatory decisions about these technologies are being made by teams trained for a different era.
ITAérea also reaffirmed its readiness to work directly with Civil Aviation Authorities across the continent, supporting them in capacity-building efforts tailored to their specific regulatory and operational needs.
The AWAYA program is ITAérea’s contribution to closing that gap. The demand from African professionals is there. What’s needed is for States to make it a strategic priority — not a nice-to-have.
