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The Regional Aviation Working Group of the South African Chapter recently hosted their counterparts in Johannesburg as part of the BRICS Business Council Mid-Term Meeting and handover.
According to Javed Malik, chair of the Regional Aviation Working Group BRICS Business Council SA Chapter, it was characterised by robust discussion and engagements under the theme "Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution".
Present were representatives of aircraft manufacturers such as Embraer (Brazil), COMAC (China) and Sukhoi (Russia). Representatives of South African Airways (SAA), China Eastern Airlines, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the SA Department of Public Enterprises and Denel SOC were also present.
Associations in attendance included the Commercial Aviation Association Southern Africa (CAASA), the Board of Airlines Representatives of South Africa (BARSA), the Black Business Council (BBC), as well as South African private airlines and air charter companies.
According to Malik, it was agreed that, following the tenth BRICS Summit (2018) at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, at which the signing of the BRICS Memorandum of Understanding on Regional Aviation by all BRICS Ministers of Transport took place, the vision should be to expand and deepen cooperation in regional aviation.
Report backs on five projects were presented by each of the countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Delegates were mandated to come up with a detailed feasibility reports and market forecasts linking route networks between BRICS countries. The outcome of this report would enable a way forward to plan direct flights and bilateral cooperation between BRICS countries.
Also launched, was a programme named Aviation2Rise, which was presented by South Africa and validated by the five nations of the working group. To be held every year during the BRICS Annual Meeting, this concept will connect aerospace innovations and start-ups to aviation stakeholders from the BRICS.
