Africa continues to open its skies with Single Air Transport Market gaining momentum
The African Union’s (AU) Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is making significant strides, with 39 African nations now part of the initiative, promising the make air travel around the continent more affordable.
Speaking at the AU Summit, AU commissioner for infrastructure and energy, Amani Abou-Zeid, emphasized that the SAATM is a critical component in facilitating the African Continental Free Trade Area and enhancing the mobility of people across the continent. The SAATM, which aims to reduce travel costs and waiting times by nearly 20%, is becoming a cornerstone for Africa’s economic integration, connecting major cities and boosting intra-African trade. As part of the AU’s Agenda 2063, the project will simplify air travel, benefiting approximately one billion Africans. The initiative is also aligned with the AU’s goal of producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from renewable sources, which could reduce gas emissions by up to 100%.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Air travel within Africa is still significantly more expensive than in other regions. A report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) highlighted the low number of air travel, the high cost of tickets, multiple airport taxes and immigration bottlenecks as major obstacles. This, according to experts, makes intra-African business and travel difficult, sometimes more costly than flying to Europe or Asia. For a quick comparison, while a direct three-hour flight from Berlin to Istanbul costs around 150 Euros, flying a similar distance, for example, between Kinshasa and Lagos will take up to 20 hours and set a passenger back by about 500-850 Euros. However, the SAATM is expected to play a pivotal role in reducing these costs, fostering stronger economic ties between African nations, and creating thousands of jobs. With greater connectivity and lower fares, the initiative could transform Africa’s air transport sector and stimulate regional growth.
