With just weeks to go before the opening of AviaDev Africa 2026, organisers have confirmed that the continent’s leading aviation and air connectivity forum is now close to full capacity, reinforcing its status as one of Africa’s most influential platforms for air service development, finance and strategic dialogue.
Scheduled to take place from 10 to 12 June at the Gaborone International Convention Centre, the 2026 edition is expected to sell out, following a similar outcome in 2025. Attendance is deliberately capped to preserve AviaDev’s hallmark high-quality networking and focused business outcomes, particularly valued by airlines, airports, financiers and destination stakeholders.
This year’s edition will welcome more than 50 airlines, reflecting the breadth and depth of Africa’s aviation ecosystem and its growing importance to tourism, trade and investment. Confirmed carriers include global network airlines, regional players and emerging operators such as Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Qatar Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Lufthansa, TAAG Angola Airlines and RwandAir, alongside a strong representation of African regional airlines.
Finance and Leasing Take Centre Stage
A key highlight of AviaDev Africa 2026 is the introduction of the inaugural Finance and Leasing Forum, taking place on Wednesday, 10 June. The forum brings together senior executives from aviation finance, leasing, banking and advisory firms to address aircraft availability, capital access and sustainable fleet growth across Africa.
Speakers include Jon Howell, CEO and Founder of AviaDev, alongside representatives from ACC Aviation, EXIM Bank, AFRAA, Jetcraft Commercial, Investec, Azorra and Astral Aviation. The forum signals AviaDev’s evolution beyond route development into a broader conversation about aviation viability, resilience and long-term growth.
High-Level Leadership, Strategy and Market Reality
The core conference days at AviaDev 2026 are anchored by senior airline executives, financiers, manufacturers, airports and policymakers whose decisions directly shape connectivity, fleet growth and route sustainability across the continent. Rather than abstract debate, the programme is structured around real balance sheets, live network decisions and executable partnerships – reinforcing AviaDev’s reputation as Africa’s most commercially grounded aviation forum.
Leadership perspectives are led by airline CEOs and C-suite executives including de Villiers Engelbrecht of Airlink, Miguel Carneiro of TAAG Angola Airlines, Kirsten King of fastjet, Hellen Mwariri Mathuka of Kenya Airways, and Dr Bao Mosinyi of Air Botswana. These leaders are joined by aircraft and engine manufacturers including Airbus, Embraer and Rolls-Royce, ensuring discussions connect fleet strategy directly to market realities.
Policy, risk and capital are interrogated with equal depth. Financing sessions feature voices such as Jacob Bakst of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Abderahmane Berthe of African Airlines Association, and aviation finance leaders from Investec and Jetcraft. Regulatory and market oversight is reinforced by contributions from the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana and African Civil Aviation Commission, while aviation data, fuel supply and risk management are unpacked by specialists from Cirium, AEG Fuels and leading lessors and insurers.
Collectively, the programme reinforces AviaDev’s role as the place where Africa’s aviation, tourism and investment agendas intersect with clarity, credibility and consequence.
Designed for Business Outcomes
A defining feature of AviaDev remains its structured, pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings. This week, organisers are opening the meeting system, allowing delegates to book targeted sessions with airlines, airports and partners ahead of arrival. Meeting packages are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
As Africa continues to post the strongest tourism growth globally, AviaDev Africa 2026 arrives at a critical moment. Air connectivity is no longer a support function – it is a strategic enabler of luxury travel, business tourism and MICE across the continent.
With capacity nearly reached, the message from organisers is clear: for stakeholders serious about shaping Africa’s aviation future, the window to be part of the conversation is closing fast.
