Third ICAO NGAP Summit Opens in Durban with Strong Calls for Youth Empowerment to Tackle Aviation Skills Shortage

The Third ICAO Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Global Summit opened yesterday at the Durban International Conference Centre with a clear message from global and African aviation leaders: the industry must urgently invest in youth empowerment to avert a looming skills crisis.

Hosted by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) under the Department of Transport, the three-day event (12–14 August) runs under the theme “The Flight Plan for Future Aviation Talent: Innovate, Educate, Inspire – Building the Workforce for the Skies Ahead.”

ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar warned that aviation will require over 2.6 million new professionals in the next 20 years – including one million cabin crew, 700,000 aircraft maintenance engineers, and hundreds of thousands of pilots and air traffic controllers. Pointing to Africa’s large youth population as a key opportunity, he launched the ICAO Global Ambassadors Program to mentor and inspire the next generation. Outcomes from the summit will contribute to a “Call for Action” at the ICAO Assembly in September.

Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), urged African states to remove barriers to inclusion and leadership for youth and women. She highlighted the continent’s 1.5 billion people – 720 million under 30 – as a powerful talent pool and championed the African Women and Youth in Aviation initiative for skills development and empowerment. She also called for improved market access, stronger connectivity, and strict adherence to safety standards.

South Africa’s Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy, who officially opened the summit, pledged to strengthen skills development and create inclusive pathways for women and disadvantaged communities.

Outgoing SACAA Board Chairperson Ernest Khosa credited close government–industry cooperation for high safety standards and commended Mr. Salazar and Ms. Adeyemi for their leadership in advancing African aviation safety and collaboration.

SACAA Director Poppy Khoza described the summit as both a strategic policy platform and a celebration of Africa’s potential, noting that SACAA’s youth-focused programmes align with ICAO’s NGAP strategy to attract, train, and retain talent – a key driver of the continent’s socio-economic growth.