COMESA urged to get open skies project on track

THE Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) is lobbying members to implement the continental open skies project that aims to create a single market for air transport in Africa.

Once completed, the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), will allow more market access for airlines, remove restrictions on ownership, extend air traffic rights and liberalised flight frequency and capacity limits.

COMESA, during a meeting in Dakar, agreed to finalise and execute the SAATM roadmap. However, only six Comesa countries, Egypt, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Kenya, eSwatini and Zimbabwe have signed the commitment to date.

Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi have not yet signed, which means more than 1.7 million travellers from the region will wait longer to enjoy these benefits.

Last year, the African Union heads of state launched SAATM shortly after a joint action plan for 2018-19 developed by aviation industry stakeholders to operationalise SAATM.

Comesa senior transport economist Bernard Dzawanda, who attended the Dakar meeting, said they agreed this year to finalise and execute the SAATM implementation roadmap, and on the need for early completion of the 55-country study on SAATM socio-economic benefits to the continent.

“One of the key activities in the prioritised action plan was the signing and implementation of the Memorandum of Co-operation between the African Civil Aviation Commission and the Regional Economic Communities,” Mr Dzawanda said. - East African News.