The launch of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), which took place in January 2018, is a historic and a vital milestone towards the continental effort to start the implementation of the 1999 Yamoussoukro Decision (YD).
The YD provides for the full liberalisation of intra-African air transport services in terms of market access, the free exercise of first, second, third, fourth and fifth freedom traffic rights for passenger and freight air services by eligible airlines.
Initially championed by twenty-three African States at its launch, the number of States that have signed the solemn commitment has reached twenty seven as at November 2018. The SAATM, a flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063, is an initiative of the African Union to create a single unified air transport market in Africa. The liberalisation of air transport in Africa is an impetus to the Continent’s economic
integration agenda.
With operationalization of the SAATM, intra-African connectivity will develop and in turn, aviation’s role as an economic driver will grow significantly. The SAATM will further spur more opportunities to promote intra-African trade, cross-border investments in the production and
service industries, including tourism resulting in the creation of additional jobs.
The benefits of the SAATM will be realised through its effective implementation by the States that have committed and by the remaining States to sign up. As of today, Fourteen Member States of the SAATM have signed the Memorandum of Implementation (MoI) as an outcome of the Ministerial Working Group meeting in May 2018 in Lomé which took place under the Patronage of the SAATM champion, H.E. Faure E. Gnassingbe President of the Togolese Republic.
AFRAA, in collaboration with other stakeholders such as IATA, AU, AFCAC and Regional Economic Communities, is at the forefront of advocacy on the effective implementation of the SAATM. A detailed action plan has been developed that focuses on key pillars to ensure that the industry achieves this major milestone for the prosperity of African aviation. AFRAA urges the States that have signed up to go a step further to ensure they create an enabling operating environment for airlines so that they may realise the maximum potential of the SAATM and take advantage of the benefits that aviation brings.
Through this handbook, it is our hope that the document will be a beneficial reference point. We continue our collaborative efforts towards the successful realization of the SAATM with the aim of achieving the far-sighted vision of a Single African Air Transport Market that will help spur the development of African aviation.
Mr. Abderahmane Berthe
AFRAA Secretary General
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