If you lead an airport or airline in Africa today, you’re not just running a complex operation – you’re managing a prized national asset. Airports have become critical infrastructure, and airlines are an integral lifeline for economic growth. Yet the reality is stark: the margin for error has vanished. Downtime isn’t merely an inconvenience; it’s a reputational and financial risk that ripples across economies.
So, what does that mean for leaders in aviation? It means resilience isn’t optional. It’s the foundation of competitiveness. And resilience, in 2025, starts with connectivity. Without it, the most sophisticated platforms, the most ambitious strategies, and the most talented teams are simply left powerless.
The connectivity imperative
Think about your airport or airline as a living organism. Its heartbeat is data – flowing through networks, systems, and platforms that must never stop. But here’s the challenge: Africa’s vastness and varied connectivity make traditional networks vulnerable. Fiber cuts and outages become real risks. And when they do, everything grinds to a halt. The cost isn’t just operational; it’s reputational. Passengers don’t forgive chaos easily, and neither do regulators or investors.
Forward-thinking leaders – those shaping the future – are asking a different question: What happens when things go wrong? Because they might. The answer lies in layered connectivity. If fibre fails, mobile steps in. If mobile falters, satellites take over. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations aren’t science fiction anymore; they’re the safety net that keeps operations alive when the unexpected happens. This isn’t redundancy for redundancy’s sake – it’s a resilience strategy.
Airlines: Efficiency is your survival strategy
For airlines, the conversation goes beyond connectivity. It’s about fuel – the single largest cost driver and, increasingly, a sustainability flashpoint. For many African carriers, capital constraints and for others, the global aerospace supply chain crisis, make it challenging to acquire the latest fuel-efficient aircraft.
But technology levels the playing field. New solutions are rewriting the rules. Imagine creating a digital twin of every aircraft in your fleet, analysing flight data, weight, and weather to optimise climb, cruise, and descent. No hardware. No retrofits. Just intelligence applied to what you already have.
The payoff? It’s possible to achieve up to 5% fuel savings on climb alone. On a wide-body aircraft, that’s 150 kilos of jet fuel per take-off. Add cruise optimisation, and you’re looking at tons of fuel saved on long-haul routes. Multiply that across your network, and the numbers stop being incremental – they become transformational. Lower costs. Higher margins. And yes, a smaller carbon footprint. In a world where sustainability isn’t just a buzzword but a business imperative, this matters.
Weather: The next frontier
If you think turbulence is just an issue of passenger comfort, think again. It’s a cost issue, a safety issue, and increasingly, a sustainability issue also. Accurate, granular weather data is the difference between smooth operations and costly diversions. Today, advanced aggregation and predictive models are already available – and they’re improving fast thanks to satellite technology. The leaders who integrate this into their operational DNA will outpace those who don’t. Imagine the competitive advantage of predicting and avoiding turbulence before it even forms. That’s not just clever; it’s game changing.
Cybersecurity: The silent risk
Let’s not sugarcoat it: airports are prime targets. As platforms move to the cloud and bandwidth demands soar, the attack surface expands. The basics matter – patch management, access control, IT hygiene. But basics aren’t enough. You need layered security architecture, intrusion detection, and, in many cases, outsourced expertise. If you don’t have the skills in-house, it’s the right time to get them. Because the cost of a breach isn’t measured in dollars alone; it’s measured in trust. And trust, once lost, is almost impossible and costly to regain.
Think big. Start small. Scale fast.
This isn’t about chasing the latest, new and shiny tech for the sake of it. It’s about making pragmatic, high-impact moves that compound over time.
Start with resilience. Build redundancy into your connectivity. Then tackle efficiency – because every kilo of fuel saved is margin earned. Layer in weather intelligence and cybersecurity. And do it decisively. The future is moving fast, and Africa’s ready to move at LEO speed. The question is whether you’re willing to move with it.
Your call to action
If you’re reading this, you’re already ahead of the curve. You understand that aviation isn’t just about moving people; it’s about moving economies. The question is: will you lead the transformation, or watch it happen from the sidelines? The tools exist. The technology is proven. The only variable left is leadership. And in this industry, leadership isn’t about playing it safe – it’s about making bold, informed bets that secure your future.
Africa’s aviation story is still being written. Make sure your name is in the next chapter. Because the leaders who act now won’t just survive – they’ll thrive. And they’ll define what success looks like for decades to come.
* Martin Smillie is SVP of SITA Communications & Data Exchange and Yann Cabaret, CEO of SITA for Aircraft, the air transport industry’s tech engine that delivers solutions to airlines, airports, aircraft and governments. SITA supports over 1,000 airports and 18,000 aircraft operated by more than 2,500 customers globally.