African Airshow set for Ghana in October

Kotoka International Airport

Armscor will participate in what is being billed as the biggest aerospace and aviation exhibition in Africa this year.

Come October, the South African government’s defence and security acquisition agency, will be at Kotoka International Airport in Accra for the first African Airshow as part of its mandate to provide marketing support to the South African defence industry.

“This is done in consultation with industry and the Department of Defence (DoD),” Armscor General Manager: Marketing And Business Development, Lulu Mzili, said.

“Armscor participates at other exhibitions and shows and also supports industry participation at them. As such Armscor will be at the Ghana exhibition.”

Didier Mary, chief executive of organising company 4M Events, this week said more than half of the fifty thousand square metres of exhibition space allocated to the African Airshow have been sold. Ten national pavilions have been confirmed to date through partners in the aerospace industry. These include Austria, Germany, India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Mzili pointed out there was “no concern” about the Ghana exhibition usurping the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) slogan of “the largest aerospace exhibition in Africa”. Armscor along with the Department of Defence, AMD (SA Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association) and the Commercial Aviation Association of SA (CAASA) are partners in the South African AAD exhibition held every two years.

“AAD focuses on all spheres of defence – land, sea and air – and has continued to grow year on year.”

The first iteration of the Africa Air Expo was originally scheduled for 2014, but was put on hold because of the outbreak of Ebola in the region.

At the launch of the 2017 event, Ghanaian Transport Minister Dfiza Attivor, said the event, which runs from October 24 to 26, would be the first ever on the continent to connect the world of aviation to the African market.

The Ghanaian Transport Ministry said over 100 businesses and companies were expected.

A two day conference will run in tandem with the exhibition examining, among others, human capital needs in African aviation; airspace and airports and air cargo.

In addition to civil and general aviation, Africa Air Expo will also showcase military aircraft, products and services. At the time of publication no details of any participating air forces or aircraft manufacturers were on the expo website.

Source: Defenceweb.co.za