Lome, Togo/ — The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) has announced the programme structure, confirmed high-level speakers and strategic priorities for the African Air Transport Convention & Expo 2026, taking place from 15 to 19 June 2026 in Lomé, Togo.
Organised in collaboration with the African Union Commission and under the High Patronage of H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Togolese Republic, the convention will serve as a continental platform to accelerate the implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and advance Africa’s aviation integration agenda.
The event will convene over 500 participants, 5 convention days, 7 aviation themes and 12 strategic objectives, bringing together governments, regulators, airlines, airports, investors, development institutions and aviation industry stakeholders from across Africa and international partners.
Confirmed high-level participants include H.E. Ms Lerato Dorothy Mataboge, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission, H.E. Mr Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and H.E. Ms Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD).
The convention will also feature participation from the Secretary General of AFCAC, representatives from the Government of the Republic of Togo, ICAO, ACI Africa and IATA.
Each of the five days will be dedicated to a thematic focus:
- Day 1: High-level opening, SAATM implementation and affordability of air transport
- Day 2: Air cargo and corridor-based route development, seamless mobility and facilitation, advancing the aviation industry and infrastructure investment
- Day 3: Aviation investment, infrastructure and air transport sustainability
- Day 4: Innovation, technology, and human capital
- Day 5: Outcome validation, partnership consolidation and closing
The programme will be structured through ministerial roundtables, high-level policy forums, executive dialogues, technical workshops, bilateral negotiations, project clinics, B2B and B2G meetings and investment sessions.
Key discussions will focus on reducing taxes, fees and charges, improving intra-African connectivity, strengthening aviation infrastructure financing, advancing digital transformation and supporting the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Low Carbon Aviation Fuels, aligned with AfCFTA and Agenda 2063.
“This event is more than a gathering – it is a defining moment for African aviation. It is where ambition meets action: strengthening connectivity, accelerating investment, and building a truly integrated African air transport market that drives trade, opportunity and shared prosperity across the continent.” Ms Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General, AFCAC
According to AFCAC, the convention is expected to deliver key continental outcomes: Lomé Ministerial Declaration, the launch of the African Route Development Platform (ARDP), new investment pipelines and strengthened cooperation mechanisms to support a more competitive and integrated African aviation market.
