Africa Must Build Aviation Ecosystem, Not Just Buy Aircraft — Seboka By Raymond Enoch

Mr Raymond Nyayiti Enoch, Our CEO and Presenter/Producer “Aviation in Focus” a flagship television programme on Channels 365 on DSTV and Channels 276 Startimes on Global Television Nigeria and on Aviation in Focus (AIF ) website, recently meet with Mr Hailegebrel Tadese Seboka, an African aviation and mobility professional with more than 18 years of international experience across Africa and Europe, including serving as former Country Manager of Ethiopian Airline Switzerland for nearly 15 years. Their encounter was a professional- historic meeting that dwelled on discussions not only on Global Aviation, Air Transport, significance but how Africa takes on its next future journey in the Aviation Ecosystem. Our Editorial team had reviewed their interview and here brings you its originality and details of exchanges they had during an interview.

Mr Hailegebrel Tadese Seboka shared the depth of his experience on several areas of Aviation industry ,the wider African Aviation Community. his professional journey and experience with Ethiopian Airlines, route and station development, African connectivity, SAATM and AfCFTA, as well as the importance of educational readiness and human-capital development for the future of African aviation.

We invite you through Paradigm News to read this Special feature as part of Aviation in Focus series serving with credible, factual and news story with integrity.

Africa Must Build Aviation Ecosystem, Not Just Buy Aircraft — Seboka

By Raymond Enoch

Africa must invest simultaneously in aviation infrastructure, connectivity, human capital and commercially sustainable airline networks if the continent is to fully realise the economic potential of its aviation sector, former Country Manager of Ethiopian Airlines, Hailegebrel Tadese Seboka, has said.

Seboka, who has more than 18 years of international experience across Africa and Europe, including nearly 15 years with Ethiopian Airlines, said Africa’s aviation development should not be measured solely by the number of aircraft operated by airlines.

He made the remarks during an interview with Raymond Enoch on “Aviation in Focus,” a programme of Global Television, Abuja, where he examined the state of African aviation, the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), as well as the need for greater investment in aviation skills, infrastructure and connectivity.

Drawing from his extensive experience in commercial aviation, airline management, route development and international market development, Seboka also discussed the lessons he learnt while serving with Ethiopian Airlines, including the development of new routes in Yaoundé and Geneva and efforts to sustain the airline’s Geneva operation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He spoke on the need for African governments, regulators, airlines, investors and educational institutions to approach aviation as an interconnected ecosystem capable of driving trade, tourism, employment and continental integration.

Can we meet you, Sir? Kindly introduce yourself and tell us about your professional journey.

Hailegebrel Tadese Seboka: My name is Hailegebrel Tadese Seboka, an African aviation and mobility professional with more than 18 years of international experience across Africa and Europe, including nearly 15 years with Ethiopian Airlines.

My career has primarily been built around commercial aviation, airline management, business development, network and route development, international market development, charter operations and aviation connectivity.

Working across different African and international markets has given me the opportunity to understand aviation from both an airline and broader ecosystem perspective.

My experience with Ethiopian Airlines was particularly formative. It exposed me to the realities of developing markets, the importance of network connectivity, the complexity of international aviation and the need to balance commercial objectives with the broader role aviation plays in economic development.

My academic background has also supported this professional journey. I hold a DAS in Global Air Transportation Management from the University of St. Gallen and a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Haramaya University, in addition to professional qualifications in aviation sales and marketing.

Today, my interest goes beyond the performance of individual airlines. I am particularly interested in how Africa can build a more connected, competitive and commercially sustainable aviation ecosystem.

I believe aviation should be viewed as an economic enabler. It connects people and markets, supports tourism and trade, creates employment, facilitates investment and can significantly contribute to Africa’s integration agenda.

Having managed one of Africa’s largest airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, as Country Manager, could you share your experience and perspectives on the African aviation sector and its journey so far?

Seboka: My experience with Ethiopian Airlines gave me a very practical understanding of the opportunities and structural challenges facing African aviation.

Africa has made considerable progress. We have seen the emergence and growth of airlines capable of competing successfully in international markets, improvements in airport infrastructure, growing passenger demand and increasing recognition of aviation’s importance to economic development.

However, I believe we are still far from realizing the continent’s full aviation potential.

One of the lessons my experience taught me is that aviation growth cannot be measured simply by the number of aircraft an airline operates.

An aircraft is only productive when the ecosystem around it is ready.

We need appropriate airport infrastructure, financing, foreign-exchange availability, qualified aviation professionals, maintenance and technical capabilities, efficient ground services, technology, effective regulation and commercially viable markets.

And there is another area that deserves much greater attention: educational readiness.

Africa’s aviation growth will require a new generation of pilots, engineers, air traffic controllers, cabin crew, airport professionals, aviation managers, data specialists, safety professionals and other technical and commercial experts.

It is therefore not enough to invest in aircraft and airports. We must invest in people and knowledge at the same time.

Our universities, aviation academies, technical institutions and industry training centres need to be better connected to the future requirements of the sector.

We should also think beyond traditional aviation education. The future aviation workforce will increasingly require expertise in digital technology, artificial intelligence, data analytics, sustainability, cybersecurity, financial management and commercial strategy.

Africa has a young population, which is one of its greatest advantages. But demographic potential becomes an economic advantage only when young people have access to the right education, skills and opportunities.

Another major challenge is connectivity within Africa.

In some cases, travelling between two African cities requires routing through Europe or the Middle East. That tells us there is still a significant gap between where demand exists and where commercially viable connectivity is available.

So I see the next phase of African aviation as being about capacity, connectivity and capability—building the physical infrastructure, creating commercially sustainable networks and developing the human capital required to support them.

In your view, what do AfCFTA and SAATM mean for the future of African aviation?

Seboka: I see the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) as highly complementary initiatives.

AfCFTA seeks to create a more integrated African market for goods and services. But markets cannot be genuinely integrated if people, products and business opportunities cannot move efficiently across borders.

That is where aviation becomes critical.

SAATM has the potential to provide the connectivity infrastructure for Africa’s economic integration. It can help create a more open and connected African aviation market and give airlines greater opportunities to develop intra-African networks.

But we now need to focus strongly on implementation.

The real test of SAATM is not simply the number of countries that have made commitments. The real test is whether those commitments translate into actual traffic rights, practical market access, new routes, greater connectivity and commercially sustainable operations.

This is an important distinction.

Opening markets does not automatically make every route commercially viable. Airlines still need sufficient demand, appropriate infrastructure, competitive costs and sustainable economics.

Therefore, governments, regulators and airlines need to work together.

We need to reduce unnecessary barriers while also creating an environment where airlines can operate sustainably.

My view is that the real opportunity lies at the intersection of AfCFTA, creating the economic market; SAATM—enabling the aviation connectivity; and commercially viable airline networks—making that connectivity sustainable.

If these three elements work together, aviation can become one of the strongest practical enablers of African economic integration.

Looking back at your tenure with Ethiopian Airlines, what has been your most memorable or rewarding experience as Country Manager?

Seboka: There have been many rewarding experiences during my time with Ethiopian Airlines, but two stand out because they had a lasting impact on my understanding of route development, commercial strategy and the resilience of aviation.

One was the opportunity to be involved in developing and launching new flight routes and establishing Ethiopian Airlines’ stations in Yaoundé and Geneva. These were very different markets, each with its own commercial dynamics and stakeholder environment.

Taking a new route from an opportunity on paper to an operating and sustainable market gave me valuable hands-on experience in route development, market analysis, business development, revenue generation and stakeholder management.

It taught me that launching a new route is much more than putting a flight on a schedule. You have to understand the market, identify the right passenger and cargo opportunities, build relationships with governments, airports, regulators, travel partners and corporate customers, and continuously develop demand around the route.

The second, and perhaps the most defining experience of my career, was keeping Ethiopian Airlines’ Geneva operation flying during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Geneva is a highly international and corporate-oriented market, and when COVID-19 hit, the corporate travel market effectively disappeared. At a time when many airlines had suspended their operations, maintaining a passenger-focused business model was extremely difficult.

We therefore had to think differently. I worked with the team and our stakeholders to identify alternative revenue streams, particularly cargo and mail/post, which helped us maintain the operation and keep the Geneva connection alive during an extraordinarily difficult period.

Looking back, I consider this one of my most rewarding professional achievements. We were able to keep the route operating when the conventional passenger market had almost disappeared. It required commercial creativity, close stakeholder cooperation, rapid adaptation and a willingness to look beyond the traditional airline business model.

For me, that experience demonstrated that route development does not end when a flight starts operating. A successful route has to be continuously developed, protected and adapted to changing market conditions.

These experiences have strongly influenced how I look at African aviation today. Sustainable connectivity requires good market intelligence, commercially viable routes, strong stakeholder relationships, diversified revenue opportunities and the ability to adapt when circumstances change.

That is what made these experiences particularly rewarding for me, not simply opening a new route or keeping a flight operating, but creating and protecting connectivity that had real value for the market.

What is your message or call to governments, industry stakeholders, airlines, regulators, and investors towards strengthening Africa’s aviation sector?

Seboka: My message is that Africa needs to stop looking at aviation as a collection of separate components and start treating it as an ecosystem.

Governments have an important responsibility to create stable, predictable and investment-friendly policy environments and to follow through on continental commitments such as SAATM.

Regulators need to maintain strong safety and oversight standards while also facilitating connectivity, competition and innovation.

Airlines must continue improving efficiency, customer experience, technology, partnerships and network planning. Growth must be based on sound commercial fundamentals.

Investors should look beyond aircraft financing. There are enormous opportunities across the wider aviation ecosystem, airports, MRO, aviation training, cargo, technology, digital solutions and other supporting services.

And perhaps most importantly, we need to invest in education and skills.

If Africa is preparing for significant aviation growth over the next two decades, educational institutions and the industry need to prepare today.

We need stronger partnerships between airlines, governments, universities, aviation academies and technical institutions.

We should be asking: Who will fly these aircraft? Who will maintain them? Who will manage the airports? Who will regulate the sector? Who will develop the technology? Who will build the commercial strategies and networks?

Educational readiness must therefore be considered alongside infrastructure and fleet planning.

I would also encourage greater cooperation among African airlines. Competition is important, but there is also room for strategic partnerships, interline arrangements, codeshares, coordinated connectivity and other forms of cooperation that can improve the overall passenger experience.

Finally, we need to keep the passenger at the centre.

The success of African aviation should ultimately be reflected in whether an African traveller can move around the continent more easily, more reliably, more affordably and with greater choice.

If we align policy, infrastructure, investment, education, technology, regulation and commercial discipline, Africa can build an aviation sector capable of supporting its economic ambitions.

Finally, thank you very much for your time and valuable insights.

Seboka: Thank you, Raymond, and congratulations to you and the team behind Aviation in Focus on launching a platform dedicated to serious conversations about the future of aviation.

Africa needs more informed dialogue between policymakers, regulators, airlines, investors, development partners, educational institutions and aviation professionals.

Our continent has enormous aviation potential, but potential alone is not enough.

We need to translate that potential into connectivity, skills, investment, innovation and commercially sustainable aviation businesses.

If we get aviation right, we are not simply moving passengers from one airport to another. We are connecting economies, facilitating trade, supporting tourism, creating employment, enabling education and bringing African markets closer together.

That is why I remain optimistic about the future of African aviation.

The opportunity is significant. The responsibility is to make sure that we are properly prepared to capture it.