The African Union (AU) has launched the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the first flagship project under its Agenda 2063, in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
The project aims to create a unified air transport market and the complete liberalisation of intra-Africa travel as a key component of its regional economic integration and development agenda.
In a press briefing at the 30th AU summit in Addis Ababa, the commissioner for infrastructure and energy Abou-Zeid Amani said that the intra-Africa air transport market will see the creation of 300,000 direct and 2-million indirect jobs.
“More than 500-million Africans will benefit from this huge, single air market and will help the signatory countries stimulate their economies, further promote trade among themselves, and give a tremendous boost to tourism,” she said.
The AU believes the initiative will pave the way for a further easing of visa restrictions and will eventually lead to a common African passport to promote free movement and trade between African nations.
The SAATM contains a host of regulations pertaining to fair competition, consumer protection, safety and security standards, as well as removing tariffs and bilateral aviation/air travel agreements.
The SAATM declaration was adopted back in 2015 by the AU’s assembly of head of states and government, with the aim of establishing the market by 2017. Currently, 23 out of 55 countries — including SA, Kenya and Nigeria — have signed up to SAATM.
A ministerial working group comprising the member states already signed on has been set up to oversee the implementation process and coax the remaining states to get on board.
In October last year, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) estimated that airline passenger numbers in Africa will more than double in less than 20 years, with growth rates currently outpacing the global average of 3.6%.