Single African Air Transport Market | |
|---|---|
 Participating countries | |
| Location | Africa |
| Type | Air transport agreement |
| Participants | 34 states |
| Establishment | |
• Yamoussoukro Declaration | 1988 |
• Yamoussoukro Decision | 1999 |
• SAATM launched | 28 January 2018 |
Website au | |
TheSingle African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is a project of theAfrican Union to create a single market for air transport in Africa. Once completely in force, the single market is supposed to allow significant freedom of air transport in Africa, advancing the AU'sAgenda 2063.[1]
Primarily, the goal of the SAATM is to fully implement the 1999Yamoussoukro Decision. This means that all participants agree to liftmarket access restrictions for airlines, removerestrictions on ownership, grant each other extendedair traffic rights (first throughfifth freedoms, not affectingcabotage rights), and liberalise flight frequency and capacity limits. Both passenger andcargo aviation are included.[2] It also seeks to harmonise safety and security regulations in aviation, based onICAO requirements.[3] Oversight over the SAATM is exercised by the African Union, itsRegional Economic Communities, and theAfrican Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC).[4][5]
The benefit of liberalising air traffic, particularly thefifth freedom, was first acknowledged in the Yamoussoukro Declaration of 1988.[6] This declaration was reaffirmed in 1999, when the African Union passed theYamoussoukro Decision.[3] However, the implementation of the decision faced obstacles, as regulatory bodies did not become operational as stipulated in the agreement.[7] A number of member states did not grant fifth freedom rights to airlines from other countries.[3]
In 2015, theDeclaration for the Establishment of a Single African Air Transport Market laid the framework for a single market implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision to be established by 2017.[2] This deadline was later extended with plans to launch the single market during the 30th African Union Summit inAddis Ababa.[8] There, the launch of the SAATM was then made official on 28 January 2018 by Rwandan PresidentPaul Kagame, as newChairperson of the Africa Union.[9][10] The organisation sought to have 40 members by the end of 2019.[11]
Twenty-three member states of the African Union originally agreed to join the SAATM as starting participants.[12] As of July 2022[update] there were 34 countries participating:[13]
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Chad
Central African Republic
DR Congo
Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Egypt
Ethiopia
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Mali
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Swaziland
Togo
ZimbabweSome African governments and airlines have criticised the project. Especially smaller airlines, as well as the Ugandan government, allege that the agreement would lead to few big airlines dominating the market, thus stifling competition.[14]
TheAfrican Development Bank, among other analysts, predicted that the SAATM would lead to cheaper flights, greater passenger volumes and economic benefits.[3][15]
TheInternational Air Transport Association commended the African Union for launching the single market, but warned that more work would be required to effectively implement the policy.[16]
Abdérahmane Berthé, secretary general of theAfrican Airlines Association, said that theCOVID-19 pandemic has helped the implementation of the SAATM.[17]
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