Johannesburg, South Africa: Africa’s aviation sector is undergoing a pivotal transformation as bold initiatives seek to drive economic integration, improve safety standards, and boost cross-continental travel. Recognizing the need for collaboration to turn ambition into progress, leading aviation and legal minds gathered for a landmark seminar aimed at shaping the continent’s aviation future.
On 26 June 2025, the Society for International Aviation Law (SIAL), Flying Jurist, and the Afrikan Peer Growth Network (APGroN) jointly hosted a hybrid seminar under the theme “Unlocking Africa’s Skies: Legal and Policy Imperatives for an Integrated Aviation Future.” Attended by researchers and academics, aviation legal practitioners, and aviation professionals, the event, held both in-person and online via Zoom, provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss the legal and regulatory frameworks that will define Africa’s air transport landscape in the coming years.
Qualified fixed-wing pilot and aviation law expert, Prof. Angelo Dube, who is also the founding President of SIAL, opened the day’s proceedings with a welcoming address, while Advocate Konanani Raligilia of APGroN offered a message of support, underscoring the importance of shared responsibility in driving industry-wide change.
The seminar featured four key presentations:
- Dr Adejoke O. Adediran of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies examined the “ICAO Framework on Unruly Passengers: Implications for African Jurisdictions,” spotlighting the challenges facing African nations in managing unruly passenger incidents.
- Mr Sipho Matshie, a candidate attorney and Master of Laws (Aviation) student, presented a paper titled “Shared Upper Airspaces and the AU’s Single African Sky Vision,” highlighting infrastructure gaps that threaten progress toward a unified African airspace.
- Mr Arthur Shirichena, a lawyer and PhD candidate at the University of Manchester in the UK, delivered a presentation titled “Trade Liberalisation under the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM): Prospects for Intra-African Connectivity,” criticizing the effectiveness of the Yamoussoukro Decision in resolving interstate aviation disputes. He also made, inter alia, one bold recommendation – a single African tribunal to resolve interstate aviation disputes.
- Former South African Airways (SAA) Captain, a well-experienced pilot and distinguished scholar, Dr Brian Suckling, closed the seminar with insights on “Legal and Technical Challenges in Air Accident Investigations,” referencing lessons learned from the ZS-CAR air crash. Dr Suckling’s presentation didn’t just stop at critique but offered a path forward with a recommendation of amendments to the Civil Aviation Act 13 of 2009 and the establishment of a National Transport Accident Investigation Agency that would handle aviation, maritime, rail, and road disasters alike. The agency would be an Independent Accident Authority that is completely independent from the government, like in the USA and Canada.
The seminar’s organizers stressed that Africa’s aviation future hinges on collaboration among policymakers, legal experts, and industry professionals. “Unlocking Africa’s skies requires more than ambition; it requires honest and coordinated action, and without collaboration across sectors and industries, we are not going to get this right,” Prof. Dube said as he closed the session.
With the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and other initiatives aiming to revolutionize the industry, the event served as a crucial forum for reflection, dialogue, and action toward a more integrated aviation sector across the continent.
Vuyolwethu Siyolise Musoke, Correspondent
Vuyo is currently busy with her LLM by full research and is focusing on the area of aviation law and trade.
