The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Mr Festus Keyamo says achieving the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), would boost economic growth, enhance connectivity and improve safety standards in the civil aviation industry in Africa.
Keyamo underscored the need for collaborative efforts among African nations to realize the goals of SAATM, highlighting the potential for increased trade, tourism, and investment opportunities that a unified air transport market could bring.
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The Minister also called for a concerted effort to address the challenges facing the African aviation industry, such as high operational costs, restrictive bilateral agreements, and limited access to financing.
The Minister made the statement at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) conference, with the theme “Wings of Change Focus Africa 2024” in Johannesburg, South Africa, according to a statement by the Special Adviser Media and Communications to the Minister.
The conference brings together key stakeholders in the aviation industry to discuss the future of air transport across the African continent.
The Minister outlined several key contributions necessary for achieving the SAATM objectives, which include:
Policy Harmonization, Infrastructure Development, Capacity Building and Public Private Partnership.
The Minister also called for a concerted effort to address the challenges facing the African aviation industry, such as high operational costs, restrictive bilateral agreements, and limited access to financing.
He stressed that overcoming these obstacles is essential to unlocking the full potential of SAATM and achieving broader economic benefits for the continent.
The “Wings of Change Focus Africa 2024” conference served as a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration among African aviation leaders, regulators, and industry experts.
The “Wings of Change Focus Africa 2024” conference served as a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration among African aviation leaders, regulators, and industry experts.
The Single African Air Transport Market is a project of the African 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’s Agenda 2063.
Also Promoting intra-regional connectivity between the capital cities of Africa by creating a single unified air transport market in Africa, as an impetus to the continent’s economic integration and growth agenda.
