The 24th African Union Summit is one of the most important events on the continent. Delegations from 53 member states will be joined by United Nations representatives, European Union leaders, and heads of august international institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the heads of continental bodies.
Coordinating travel will be a challenge. Key considerations include:
Landing, take-off, and overnight parking at HAAB airport in Addis Ababa. Both commercial and private aircraft should be able to secure overnight parking slots. While aircraft should all be able to land and take off, congestion will be extensive given the surge in travel volume, so early planning is essential to avoid excessive delays.
Crew transport and accommodation. Global five-star hotels that operate in Addis Ababa include the Sheraton, Intercontinental, and Radisson Blu. There are also high-quality limousine and car hire services available for crew and VIP transfers. All will be in high demand.
Visas, customs, and immigration clearance. Flight crew members listed on a GENDEC do not require visas. For delegates, visas will be handled by AU representatives in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
VIP catering. Options are limited to two firms: Ethiopian Airlines Catering, which will likely be fully deployed to support their commercial flights; and Addis International Catering, a private company which provides high-quality menus and special and Halal options.
Handling. Normally the only handling company at HAAB is the government-owned Ethiopian Airlines. It will be stretched to maximum capacity with the surge in travel volume, and service may suffer without onsite supervision. UAS onsite supervisors are deployed for ensuring all flights operate on time and deliver seamless operations during the event.
Fuel. Bowsers and hydrants are both used at HAAB. While Jet A1 is readily available; Avgas is likely to be in short supply, so early arrangements will be required to ensure availability.
If you have any questions or would like assistance with travel and accommodation during the African Union Summit, please do not hesitate to contact your UAS representative or contact us at:
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Marketing Team UAS International Trip Support | - 11/12/2020
Mitch Launius
Instructor Pilot for 30 West IP
Mitch is the CEO of 30 West IP where he is also an instructor providing pilot training on international procedures. With an illustrious career of over 34 years in the cockpit, Mitch has acquired over 13,000 hours of flight time flying worldwide, with over 9,000 hours of this in Challenger and Gulfstream aircraft. He is an experienced safety officer and was also an IS-BAO project manager for a fortune 500 flight department. He has presented on Safety and Operations topics at the NBAA International Operators Conference and the Canadian Business Aviation Association Convention and is currently on the NBAA International Operators Committee and serves as the North Atlantic Regional Lead. Mitch is also a member of an FAA working group on General Aviation International Authorizations and Tabletop Exercises (GIATE). He was recently selected to represent IBAC as a member of the ICAO Personal Training and Licensing Panel (PTLP) and was also recently named as a 2020 recipient of the NBAA Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award for his contribution to the business aviation community.
Henry ‘Duke’ LeDuc
Director Of Operations, Americas, UAS International Trip Support
Duke has been a dearly respected member of UAS Americas team and the UAS global family for more than five years. A safety-oriented, FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he oversees all of the operations of the elite UAS Operations Team. With twenty-five years of experience in aviation overall with more than fifteen years of experience in international flight planning and VVIP trip coordination, he is responsible for the development of the dispatch training program and involved in the strategic development of UAS Americas. With a myriad of rich aviation experience behind him, he has extensive experience in worldwide operations with both corporate and charter environments, including seven years as Operations/Dispatch Manager in an industry-leading, Fortune 500, IS-BAO Stage III Certified corporate flight department. Duke is frequently asked shares his knowledge at major industry events and is currently serving on the NBAA’s International Operators Conference (IOC) Planning Committee.
Dudley King
President and Founder, FlightBridge
Dudley is the Founder and President of FlightBridge, which he established in 2011 and has been focused on technology solutions for the private aviation industry since 2006. Since he graduated from Dartmouth in 1988, he has worked with an array of companies listed anywhere from VentureWire to the Fortune 100. A rare blend of executive, entrepreneur, and consultant, Dudley’s executive roles have included acting CIO positions for several companies and tech advisory services to CEOs trying to rebuild their technology organizations or looking for an external, professional point of view. Highly skilled at deeply understanding his customer’s business challenges and drawing from a long and varied experience in information technology services, Dudley excels at designing technology solutions to solve their problems.
Dr. Paulo Alves
Global Medical Director, Aviation Health, Medaire
Paulo has extensive experience in medical advisory in the aviation industry. As a cardiologist, he provides technical guidance and analysis for MedAire’s MedLink medical advisory service and is MedAire’s liaison with civil aviation regulators and industry associations. Paulo worked with Varig Brazilian Airlines for 23 years, 10 of which were spent as General Medical Manager. A member of the MedAire Medical Advisory Board, Paulo is also President of the Ibero-American Aerospace Medical Association, a member of the International Academy of Aerospace Medicine, a member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Safety Committee, a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), and a Fellow of the Civil Aviation Medical Association. Throughout his illustrious career, Paulo has held industry leadership roles including Chairperson of the AsMA’s Air Transport Medicine Committee, President of the Airlines Medical Directors Association, President of the Brazilian Society of Aerospace Medicine and was a member of the IATA Medical Advisory Group from 2002 to 2006.
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