Five African airlines will collaborate to "reduce costs, improve efficiency, and enhance safety" in maintenance, repair, and operations/overhaul (MRO) at an "Africa MRO" event to be staged by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in 2026, a spokeswoman for the organisation confirmed.

The collaboration will be among Royal Air Maroc, EgyptAir, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines unit Ethiopian Airlines MRO, and SAA Technical, the maintenance arm of South African Airways.

"An MRO task force has been working on the concept, and now we have formed a committee of the five airlines to move forward with the implementation," the AFRAA spokeswoman explained.

AFRAA secretary-general Abderahmane Berthé first announced the initiative on September 4 at the 9th Aviation Africa Summit & Exhibition in Kigali, Rwanda.

"Africa’s MRO market is growing, but a large part of our maintenance is still outsourced outside the continent. That is why we are proud to unveil the AFRICA MRO event that will be staged in 2026. The date and venue shall be announced in the coming days. This collaboration among our five major MROs will help reduce costs, improve efficiency, and enhance safety across the sector," he said.

Many African airlines rely heavily on overseas MRO providers, driving up costs, turnaround times, and schedule disruptions. Local infrastructure and capacity remains limited, especially in West Africa, while a severe shortage of skilled technicians is projected to worsen. Airlines also face supply chain constraints, forex shortages, inconsistent regulatory oversight, and geographical logistics issues.

Efforts to expand and modernise local MRO capabilities, train personnel, and improve supply chains are critical priorities for the sector.

For its part, Ethiopian Airlines Group recently invested more than USD150 million to open three new MRO facilities at Addis Ababa International, including a component maintenance workshop, central warehouse, and two-bay general maintenance hangar. Inaugurated on July 22, 2025, the expansion enhances operational efficiency and adds more than 170 new component capabilities to Ethiopian Airlines’ already extensive FAA-approved repair list.