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85pc of Africa takes big step towards Open Skies under new deal
NIGERIA, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have pledged to implement the Yamoussoukro Declaration that would remove restrictions on air trade across Africa.
This news prompted the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) to tell Xinhua news service that "significant progress has been made on cross-border interconnectivity among many African nations".
The Yamoussoukro Declaration was passed in 1999, but the agreement, to establish a single air market in Africa, was never ratified by all member nations.
"We are likely to achieve the target of having a single African air transport market by end of January 2017," said AFRAA secretary general Elijah Changshu from Nairobi.
If each country followed through on the agreement, the Yamoussoukro Declaration would cover about 85 per cent of Africa's air traffic, he said.
Once liberalisation is fully achieved, airlines based in Africa will be free to fly, without restrictions, to as many other African countries that they wish.
Mr Changshu said that this freedom may end up doubling the size of the air industry in the next five years.
The final hurdle, he added, will be to convince those nations with poorly performing airlines to stop the common practice of imposing highly restrictive tariffs on foreign carriers to protect their assets.
"Some of these inefficient airlines lobby their governments not to allow competition from other African airlines," he told Xinhua.
Mr Changshu added that AFRAA has stepped up its efforts to convince these governments that free competition is better for everyone because it encourages and rewards innovation.
Even with fully liberalised skies, the continent, as a whole, has a long way to climb to become competitive with the world.
According to AFRAA, there are about 760 aircraft currently being operated by all commercial Africa-based carriers, representing less than three per cent of global aviation revenue.
That combined fleet total is only about half the size of the fleet of the world's largest airline by number of aircraft, American Airlines, which operates nearly 1,500 planes.
This news prompted the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) to tell Xinhua news service that "significant progress has been made on cross-border interconnectivity among many African nations".
The Yamoussoukro Declaration was passed in 1999, but the agreement, to establish a single air market in Africa, was never ratified by all member nations.
"We are likely to achieve the target of having a single African air transport market by end of January 2017," said AFRAA secretary general Elijah Changshu from Nairobi.
If each country followed through on the agreement, the Yamoussoukro Declaration would cover about 85 per cent of Africa's air traffic, he said.
Once liberalisation is fully achieved, airlines based in Africa will be free to fly, without restrictions, to as many other African countries that they wish.
Mr Changshu said that this freedom may end up doubling the size of the air industry in the next five years.
The final hurdle, he added, will be to convince those nations with poorly performing airlines to stop the common practice of imposing highly restrictive tariffs on foreign carriers to protect their assets.
"Some of these inefficient airlines lobby their governments not to allow competition from other African airlines," he told Xinhua.
Mr Changshu added that AFRAA has stepped up its efforts to convince these governments that free competition is better for everyone because it encourages and rewards innovation.
Even with fully liberalised skies, the continent, as a whole, has a long way to climb to become competitive with the world.
According to AFRAA, there are about 760 aircraft currently being operated by all commercial Africa-based carriers, representing less than three per cent of global aviation revenue.
That combined fleet total is only about half the size of the fleet of the world's largest airline by number of aircraft, American Airlines, which operates nearly 1,500 planes.
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