African Airlines Race Towards Single Sky Pact

African airlines are racing to ratify a decade and half old agreement that seeks to promote the indigenisation and liberalisation of African skies in terms of capacity, access, frequency and tariffs in order to produce connectivity within the continent.

To date, 18 African countries including Nigeria, have ratified the Yamoussoukro Decision, which states that liberalisation of international air markets could see Africa growing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while increasing the number of passengers for the airlines.

To seek solution to the problem, Airlines from Southern Africa under the aegis of Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) called for single sky for Africa, which it said would see a combination of more flights and bigger aircraft operating in the continent’s skies.

Chief Executive Officer of AASA, Chris Zweigenthal, stated this at the industry body’s annual General Assembly, held last weekend in Swakopmund, Namibia, where governments, regulatory authorities and industry partners met to discuss the ramifications of a newly – approved global carbon offset mechanism for international aviation, which is to be implemented worldwide.

A former Managing Director of IRS Airlines, Yemi Dada, said promoting internal air links could reap huge economic rewards, such as more trade between African countries and other parts of the world, as well as a reduction in the expensive transport costs with which African businesses are saddled at present.

He stated that the growing affluence across Africa had created greater demand for air travel, adding that by 2034, eight of the 10 fastest growing aviation markets would be in Africa, while nearly 300 million passengers would travel to and from African destinations. Much of this growth is expected in routes within the continent.

He stated that African airlines could take advantage of emerging middle classes and Asian links, but needed to enact a longstanding agreement between 44 African governments, known as the Yamoussoukro Decision that would enable airspace to be shared without the imposition of fees.

“One of the ways African airlines can have an advantage is the ability to go with the Yamoussoukro Decision of African ministers to liberalise air space in Africa, which would allow them to coordinate (flights between) African cities and bring them together in a hub and spoke manner.”

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the clearing house for over 270 airlines, bemoaned the slow march of progress towards implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision.

The benefits, IATA said have not been realised, just as it estimated that liberalising African airspace in 12 countries could create more than 150,000 jobs and add $1.3billion (£872million) to the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP) by encouraging tourism. There is a growing belief that tourism can bolster African economies and that improved air networks will encourage more travellers to visit the continent.

In 2015, more than 50 million tourists travelled to Africa, making it one of the world’s most popular regions.

This number is expected to increase further this year. For the first time, African airport operators now boast of a better safety record than the world average, allaying fears that have plagued the continent’s aviation industry for decades.

Experts believe that what Africa needs to do, going forward is to intensify the regulatory oversight, especially in the area of general aviation.

IATA remains optimistic that African skies will open up, stressing that what the western aviation companies cannot do, the African companies can do – if they fully liberalise the air space in Africa.

“So you will find an Arik airplane bringing people from Sierra Leone, from Liberia, from The Gambia, and being able to pool them together in Lagos or Abuja for on-wards flights. African airlines can do more if we work towards the liberalisation of air space”, Dada added.

Wole Shadare