Aviation Leaders Despair of African Open Skies Failures | Aviation International News

Aviation Leaders Despair of African Open Skies Failures

Lack of leadership hinders market liberalization

From left to right, IATA vice president for Africa Raphael Kuuchi, Air Mauritius CEO Somas Appavou, UNWTO regional director for Africa Elcia Grandcourt, and RwandAir board chairman Girma Wake address the slow progress toward open skies in Africa during a panel discussion in Toulouse. (Photo: Kaleyesus Bekele)

By Kaleyesus Bekele

November 7, 2018

African aviation experts vented their frustration at the slow pace at which African countries are implementing the African open skies agreement during a recent “White Paper” presentation in Toulouse. Launched by 23 African states in January at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, the African Single Air Transport Market (SAATM) aims to liberalize African skies by eschewing bilateral service agreements. Although the number of signatories has increased to 27, the SAATM remains a work in progress, sowing discontent over its slow implementation. Conceived as a vehicle to improve air connectivity and reduce unit costs, the initiative received the backing of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as well as aircraft manufacturers including Airbus and Boeing.

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