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Chikelu urges \$45bn aviation-tourism revolution to unlock West and Central Africa Chikelu urges \$45bn aviation-tourism revolution to unlock West and Central Africa

West and Central Africa's aviation and tourism sectors have been urged to abandon their traditional silos and embrace a bold new era of integration. Speaking at the AeroWest Summit in Lagos, Theodore Chikelu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Jet Afrique Aviation Services Limited, delivered a compelling call for deeper coordination between the two sectors, arguing that seamless connectivity is essential to unlocking the region's vast economic potential.

Speaking under the summit theme "Financing Connectivity: Unlocking Aviation and Tourism Growth in West and Central Africa", Chikelu framed aviation and tourism as "two sides of the same coin". Attractive destinations, he argued, cannot thrive without safe, affordable and seamless air connectivity, while airlines cannot sustain viable operations without vibrant, accessible destinations. It is a message that resonates strongly across a region home to more than 20 countries and over 500 million people, blessed with extraordinary cultural, natural and commercial assets that remain largely untapped due to inadequate connectivity.

The scale of the missed opportunity is striking. West and Central Africa currently accounts for less than 3 percent of global air traffic, despite significant intra-African movement of people and high-value, time-sensitive trade. Even more telling, fewer than 30 percent of more than 400 potential city-pair routes across the continent are served by direct flights. For African travel professionals, this represents both a challenge and a substantial commercial opportunity waiting to be captured.

Chikelu identified high operating costs as one of the biggest constraints on regional aviation growth, pointing to jet fuel, taxes and aircraft leasing costs that are significantly above global averages. Reducing these costs, he argued, would make regional air travel more competitive, giving airlines the room to expand networks, launch new routes and improve connectivity between African cities. Encouragingly, new bilateral air services agreements and the African Development Bank's aviation transformation initiatives are already creating fresh openings for investment into the sector.

On tourism, the Jet Afrique boss painted a picture of enormous underutilised potential. The region offers UNESCO World Heritage sites, spectacular beaches, vibrant festivals, cultural attractions and growing business centres, yet weak destination accessibility, limited hotel capacity and inadequate last-mile transport continue to hold back growth. "Tourism cannot grow if people cannot easily move," he stressed, calling for coordinated investment in airports, roads, reliable power, digital payment systems and other essential infrastructure.

Central to Chikelu's vision is the accelerated implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), which he described as essential to achieving genuine intra-African connectivity. He also urged governments to harmonise aviation taxes and charges, align visa policies and consider introducing a single regional visa system, a move that could dramatically boost intra-African travel and enhance the continent's appeal to international visitors and investors. Policy stability, he added, is crucial to attract the long-term capital required for major aviation and tourism projects.

Safety and air traffic management also featured prominently. While acknowledging real progress in regional safety standards, Chikelu highlighted persistent gaps in regulatory oversight, accident investigation and runway safety. He advocated for greater integration of air traffic management systems and the development of a seamless West and Central African upper-airspace structure, which would reduce flight times, fuel consumption and carbon emissions, while improving operational efficiency for airlines.

The economic prize on offer is significant. Chikelu cited industry estimates suggesting that doubling tourism activity in the region by 2030 could unlock \$45 billion in GDP and create two million jobs across West and Central Africa. Achieving this will require developing tourism products around business travel, heritage, eco-tourism and medical tourism, alongside investment in skills development, security corridors and digital marketing.

For sub-Saharan Africa's travel trade, the message is clear. AeroWest should not end as a conference but should become a launchpad for strategic partnerships, cross-border investment and policy reforms capable of reshaping the region's aviation and tourism landscape. Chikelu challenged delegates to leave the summit with three concrete commitments: design better connectivity, standardise regulations and market the region's destinations more effectively.

Consultants and tour operators across the continent should treat this moment as an invitation to lean into West and Central Africa with fresh curiosity and commercial ambition. As bilateral agreements expand, private carriers such as Air Peace, ValueJet and Ibom Air grow their fleets, and destinations like Ghana's Detty December continue to reshape global perceptions, the region's tourism story is entering an exciting new phase. For agents willing to build the right partnerships now, the coming years could deliver some of the most rewarding opportunities in African travel.