African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has intensified its campaign for opening up the African airspace by declaring support to the African Union’s (AU) initiative towards a single air transport market by 2017, AFRAA Secretary-General Elijah Chingosho said on Friday.
Realization of a single African air transport market in 2017 and the opening up of the airspace to all African airlines were key steps requiring the support of the governments in Africa in order to spur economic development and growth of aviation, he said.
In order to facilitate aviation development in Africa, Chingosho explained that implementation of policies to reduce the high industry costs, the protection of Africa’s rich bio-diversity and infrastructural development to cope with the growing needs of the airline industry were necessary steps towards ensuring the industry’s growth.
AU Commissioner for Infrastructure Elham Ibrahim has been holding discussions with African air transport ministers at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, in order to agree to a plan towards creation of the single air transport market.
Aviation experts said the lack of air connectivity within Africa mostly denied African travellers a chance to connect to destinations within the continent.
In most circumstances, connections are hampered by the inability of various governments to grant landing rights and frequencies to continental air carriers.
Chingosho said in line with the opening up of African skies, the African states should remove nonphysical bottlenecks to the movement of people and goods.
He said the removal of restrictive visa regimes and onerous customs clearance procedures would spur growth of the aviation industry.
Zimbabwe is among the 15 States that have declared their solemn commitment to fully open their skies immediately and unconditionally in accordance with the Yamoussoukro Decision.
Chingosho appealed to the remaining African states to join the 15 to help in the realization of the far-sighted vision of a Single African Aviation market.
“This will help spur the development of African aviation which currently accounts for less than 3% of global traffic and where intercontinental traffic is dominated by non-African carriers,” he added.
AFRAA reported 2015 as having Africa’s lowest rate of accidents in decades.
AFRAA membership of 38 airlines cuts across the continent and includes all intercontinental African operators. The Association members represent over 85% of total international traffic carried by African airlines.
