Africa’s aviation industry has tabled a range of practical measures that need to be addressed before implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
Top representatives from African airlines, aviation industry organisations, regulatory authorities, financiers and airplane manufacturers gathered at a conference held by the African Development Bank (AfDB) yesterday where delegates recommended solutions and policy changes to improve the future of aviation in Africa.
They suggested a regional approach to accelerate aviation and security plans – while training for technical and executive staff was high on the agenda. They also called for a greater focus on fleet size by prioritising narrow body aircraft in aviation financing.
Delegates pushed for increased government commitment and an alignment of national frameworks to international conventions, urging governments to adopt a more collaborative decision-making approach to the construction of airport and air navigation services infrastructure.
According to AfDB Infrastructure and Industrialisation, Private Sector, vice-president, Pierre Guislain, the aim of the conference was to create a coordinated roadmap for SAATM implementation that would address the challenges facing the industry on the continent. These challenges include high fares, fees and charges, poor infrastructure and expensive access to finance.
The SAATM initiative, launched by the African Union in January this year, aims to increase connectivity, reduce barriers and open up Africa’s skies in order to boost traffic and trade and achieve double-digit growth in the industry by 2023.
