adminSixteen years after 44 African states committed to opening their airline markets to regional competition, countries are still reluctant to do so, preferring to sign bilateral agreements with Middle Eastern and European states. The AU Commission aims to establish a single African air transport market by 2017 but implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration, signed in 1999 to effect this, has been slow, reports Business Day. According to a report by the International Air Transport Association, if 12 nations were to implement the Yamoussoukro Declaration, an extra 155 000 jobs and $1,3 billion in annual GDP could be created.
Africa’s aviation industry already supports 6.9 milling jobs and contributes $80bn to GDP on the continent.
SA’s Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said the tendency of African states to sign ‘‘blanket bilateral agreements’’ with the Middle East and European countries eroded the spirit of Yamoussoukro.
She said the ‘‘fear of competition among African countries undercuts national airlines’’ ability to enhance their commercial viability’. But Zimbabwe Transport Minister Obert Mpofu pointed to the varying size of airlines in Africa as the reason for the slow implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration. It could not be implemented uniformly because large airlines, ‘‘like South African Airways and Egypt Air’’, were more developed than small airlines such as Air Zimbabwe.
‘‘It also has to do with competitiveness. You’re a small airline competing with a giant and you need to meet certain obligations, which you cannot readily do because of your size. While others can do that.’’ – Business Day
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