Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)
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Promoting intra-regional connectivity between the capital cities of Africa by creating a single unified air transport market in Africa, as an impetus to the continent’s economic integration and growth agenda.
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MEDIA ADVISORY
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Press Release Nº193/2015
AUC-ICAO strengthening cooperation in civil aviation in Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 19 August 2015: The African Union Commission Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, met with the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Dr Fang Liu, who was on her first official visit since taking over on 1 August 2015. Meeting at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 19 August 2015, Dr. Dlamini Zuma and Dr. Fang Liu discussed strategies to implement a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed on 27 September 2010 between AUC and ICAO.
They exchanged on cooperation modalities to strengthen cooperation in the field of civil aviation, notably through areas for the improvement such as aviation safety, air navigation capacity and efficiency, aviation security and facilitation, economic development of air transport, environmental protection, capacity building and training of aviation personnel and technical cooperation and technical assistance.
These areas are in line with the AU’s roadmap for the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision towards the establishment of the single African air transport market under the Africa Agenda 2063. The objectives are also in accordance with the ICAO Strategic Objectives.
Priority will be given to the 11 AU member states which declared their commitment to full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision towards the establishment of a single African air transport market with well-established National Identification System.
They also exchanged views on the organisation of a dedicated Ministerial meeting on aviation security and facilitation to establish targets similar to aviation safety, and further development of air navigation targets for submission to AU Organs for endorsement.
Other issues discussed included technical assistance for the establishment of an African passport with ICAO standards; assistance to the African airlines in complying with safety standards; and removal of banned African airlines from the EU black list. In this regard, the two organisations recognised the need for AUC to mobilise international institutions in supporting civil aviation programmes.
The AU Commission Chairperson and ICAO Secretary General mutually expressed their satisfaction on the results so far achieved in implementing the MoC. They recognized that there is still a lot to be done in terms of effective implementation of safety and security requirements.
JEE
Press Release Nº 266/2014
A single African air transport market critical to agenda 2063
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - 10 October, 2014: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, HE Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma met a delegation of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) to discuss the importance of the aviation sector in the socio-economic transformation of the continent.
During the meeting, Dr. Dlamini Zuma said: “Connecting Africa through aviation and other transport infrastructure is critical to integration, intra-Africa trade, as well as to tourism, economic growth and development more generally. The sector is also an important creator of jobs and critical skills on the continent. The aviation sector is strategic for the implementation of Agenda 2063.”
In the engagement with the Chief Executives, they noted that discussions on African open skies have been on-going for the last two decades, culminating in the adoption of the Yamassoukro Decision by African Heads of State and Government in 2000. Over the last decade, with sustained economic growth on the continent, a growing middle class and more tourists and businesses coming to Africa, the delays have been at Africa’s peril, with loss of market share by African airlines, from 60% in the early 90s to under 20% at present.
The meeting considered what needs to be done to remove the blockages towards the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision on the Liberalisation of Air Transport Markets in Africa and to move towards the creation of a single African aviation market.
AFRAA Secretary General, Dr. Elija Chingosho highlighted the importance of the liberalisation of the continent’s air market to be accessible by all citizens. He said, “air transport should be affordable for everyone, not just be monopolized for the rich and the wealthy. As a continent we are subsidizing the industry for international carriers.” Dr. Chingosho appreciated the timeliness and pertinence of convening the meeting at a time when African aviation occupies 20% of market share in Africa.
As an immediate follow up, the AU Commission’s Department of Infrastructure and Energy will convene a meeting of African aviation experts to be held at the end of October 2014 in Nairobi, Kenya. They will iron out the technical issues that will facilitate the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision, to move towards the single African aviation market, and come up with recommendations for Member states.
The AU Commission will continue to engage with all stakeholders in the aviation sector to accelerate the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision.
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Topic Resources
Agenda 2063 is Africa’s development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development over a 50-year period.
Agenda 2063 is Africa’s development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development over a 50-year period.