The realism is that the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) will play a tremendous role in the development of a receptive diplomatic relations and ease of doing business within the Africa continent, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has said.
He spoke at the opening ceremony of the 24th edition of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) Week and SAATM in Abuja where he appealed to African leaders and aviation stakeholders to rally support for the idea of a united and open sky for the continent without restriction.
Keyamo said, “It is hoped that the YD Anniversary Week celebration would inspire countries signatory to SAATM, and those who have not done so, to further remove restrictions on air services while those who have not signed the commitment to SAATM be encouraged to voluntarily join and commit to the principles of the open skies policy.
The need to speed up full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision with regard to the Liberalisation of Access to Air Transport Markets in Africa, cannot be over emphasized as it is crucial to the achievement of the long-term vision of the African Union”, the Minister advised.
The event with the theme: “Africa Wants To Fly”, hosted by the Africa Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) is aimed at accelerating air transport liberalisation in Africa to improve continental connectivity and integration.
According to the minister, “throughout history, Africa has been home to diverse cultures and peoples who have looked to the skies with awe and reverence. Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries and Air Transport is an essential component of the global transportation system and a strategic driver of economic growth and development.
A report indicates that intra Africa trade stands low at just 14.4% of total African exports, while African airlines have recorded a 34.7% surge in passenger traffic over the past year; the continent’s global passenger market share remains modest at 2.1%.
Experts posits that SAATM is a no- brainer in giving impetus to not just intra Africa trade and tourism, but that it would also reduce the continent’s trade deficit by 51%.
Keyamo
noted that statistics from the Africa Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) shows that 37 member states have so far subscribed to unconditionally implement the YD and SAATM, with 23 states signing the Memorandum of Implementation (Mol) for its operationalisation.
The records also show that the 37 states account for more than 88% of intra-African traffic and more than 800 million people in Africa.
“It is common knowledge that the success of the SAATM initiative depends on not just the commitment of individual countries, but also on collaborative efforts at the regional and continental levels.”, he added.
The gathering, which was attended by the President of AFCAC/Director General of Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, Silas Udahamuka, Ms. Adefunke Adeyemi, AFCAC Secretary General and other topflight Aviation/Transport Ministers in Africa, symbolises the relentless pursuit of African dreams and the firm belief that the sky is not the limit; but the beginning of an exciting journey.
