Among the policy priorities for the association and the industry it represents are modernization of the continents aviation system, building upon the already outstanding safety record for business aviation, promoting The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and promoting secure access to airports and airspace. The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is a flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063, an initiative of the African Union to create a single unified air transport market in Africa to advance the liberalization of civil aviation in Africa and act as an impetus to the continent’s economic integration agenda. SAATM will ensure aviation plays a major role in connecting Africa, promoting its social, economic and political integration and boosting intra-Africa trade and tourism as a result. The SAATM was created to expedite the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision (pdf).

AIMING FOR A HARMONIZED REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Currently, 35 AU Member States with a total population of more than 800 million people, accounting for 61% of the population on the African continent and 89% of intra-African air transport market have joined SAATM and have opened up their markets to each other, removing restrictions in terms of frequency, capacity and granting to each other traffic rights and this will enable intra-African transport connectivity and support improvement of trade and tourism.

A survey conducted by IATA survey suggests that if just 12 key Africa countries open their markets with increased connectivity, this would result in an extra 155,000 jobs and US$1.3 billion in annual GDP created in those countries. The 35 member countries that have signed up to the SAATM are: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea (Bissau), Guinée, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sénégal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tchad, Togo and Zimbabwe, with Morocco signing up in March, 2022. These countries represent over 80% of the existing aviation market in Africa and signal the huge economic potential to be derived from this agreement.

EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION IS KEY

Advocacy and continuous communication to all stakeholders on the Single Africa Air Transport Market is a key element towards the operationalization of the SAATM. This is the first pillar of the SAATM Prioritized Action Plan. To facilitate this, IATA worked with the African Union Commission, the African Civil Aviation Commission and the African Airlines Association, to create a SAATM Handbook, launched at the 30th Ordinary Plenary Session of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) on the 5th of December in Livingstone, Zambia. This handbook serves as a guidance booklet on SAATM implementation. The aim is to help all stakeholders work together to take the best advantage of SAATM to boost African development.

By signing the SAATM Memorandum of Implementation (MOI) the countries commit to revise all their Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) with other African countries to make them compliant to the provisions of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) for full liberalization of air transport services. A key objective of LIA is bringing stakeholders from member states to the table to review not just number of signatories but the implementation status; current challenges and chart ways to promote actualisation of the goals of the agreement.