Various experts expected to feature at maiden Aviation and Connectivity Forum this week
The Minister of Transport John Mutorwa will be joined by Finnish Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Ville Skinnari to officiate the opening of the Aviation and Connectivity Forum scheduled from 16 to 18 November at the Safari Court Hotel in Windhoek.
Among other prominent names coming through to dissect aviation issues are Rodger Foster, CEO of Southern Africa’s airline Airlink; Sylvian Bosc, CEO of AVICO International; Aviation Consultant and former Airbus Director Kwameh Bekoe and Westair CEO Henri van Schalkwyk; Aircraft manufacturer Embraer Africa Sales Director Akie Chhabra; Peter Keil, Managing Director of Skycore and Tim Harris, Consulum Partner; The Airlines Association of Southern Africa CEO Aaron Munetsi and Swissport South Africa CEO Khangi Khoza and Development Bank for Southern Africa Regional Manager Davis Pwele.
The Forum starts on Wednesday 16 November with the nine working groups finalizing their documents for discussion. Their area of work ranges from Regulatory reforms; Training and skills development; Route development and regional and international connectivity and Infrastructure Investment amongst others.
Development Bank of Namibia CEO Martin Inkumbi, RMB Namibia CEO Phillip Chapman, and Bank Windhoek CEO Baronice Hans will join Namibia Civil Aviation Authority CEO Toska Sem and Private-Public Partnership Specialist Dr. Rajeev Mehta. Business Financial Solutions CEO Kauna Ndilula and Fly Namibia CEO Andre Compion, along with Presidential Advisor on Youth Matters Dairsy Mathias and Presidential Economic Advisor James Mnyupe will also be sharing their expertise as well at the forum.
The purpose of the forum, a first of its kind for Namibia, is to create a platform where key industry players and stakeholders will share, tackle, rethink, and put into motion ideas on the trajectory that the aviation industry and its related ecosystems will take over the next few years.
It further seeks to cement the industry’s role as key to Namibia’s economic recovery and growth, as well as driving the revival of aviation and other ancillary industries such as tourism after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
