Page 11 - LUA January - February 2023 Magazine

SPECIAL REPORT

The turning point for
AFRICA’S

AIR CARGO

From the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) of 1999 to the Single African Air
Transport Market (SAATM) of 2018, countries in the African continent have
gone through years of hard work and negotiations facing several challenges to
liberalise the continent’s air transport. It looks like the African sky is going to
be much more open. Roy Ezze checks the tailwind.

frica closed out 2022 with Africa for African airlines, and for the
remarkable achievements benefit of Africa’s economy.
in driving air transport Liberalisation in Africa had continually
Aliberalisation, harmonisation of stalled since the concept was established
air services agreements and harmonisation by Africa’s top political leaders as a
of air transport economic regulation. This Declaration in 1988, which was firmed
unprecedented turn-of-events has raised up as the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD)
strong hopes across the continent and in 1999. Africa has painstakingly rejigged
viewed as a prelude to more outstanding the YD liberalisation framework under a
achievements in air transport liberalisation new implementation mechanism called
and aviation development in 2023. the Single African Air Transport Market
Africa has in recent years sought to (SAATM) which was launched by
establish a workable and updated the African Union (AU) in
framework to actualise January 2018 in Addis
unfettered air transport Ababa. Towards
market access within the end of 2022,

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