Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) continue to hamper the growth of airlines on the continent. The time has now come for leading African countries to take the process of change seriously.
The 1999 Yamoussoukro accord to implement an open skies policy for African airlines flying regional routes has stalled. However, the new NEPAD planning and development agency is now committed to assisting the African Union in the implementation of the accord. The original Yamoussoukro declaration signed by 43 African states was intended to liberalise African aviation by providing access to major airports, improving frequencies and increasing competition. However most African countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Angola and Mauritius, still have restrictive bi-lateral agreements for their primary routes, allowing only a limited number of airlines to operate.
This NEPAD says this is severely hampering the growth of African trade and airline infrastructure.
NEPAD intends to take a leading role in aviation development in Africa. To do this, it believes it will be necessary to sign on an increasing number of countries to the original principles of the Yamoussoukro Declaration. NEPAD is supporting airline reforms relating to a safe, secure and profitable aviation sector. Among these reforms will be the ongoing privatisation of many parastatal airlines, which have shown considerable difficulty in staying in business during the turbulent times of the past five years.
Multi-lateral and bi-lateral route agreements between co-operating countries remain a problem for potential competitors with regard to many of the prime destinations including Lagos, Luanda and Mauritius.
The situation still exists where the countries that have signed the Yamoussoukro Declaration and give lip service to the open skies policies, still doggedly hang on to their bi-lateral agreements to protect their own airlines. The opening of African skies will lead to improved aviation infrastructure, including upgrading the international airports for the major African capitals, and the implementation of modern Air Traffic and Navigation Services, which are now urgently required. This includes the implementation of regional ATNS services, which will help to co-ordinate air traffic movements on the continent.
NEPAD has committed to putting increased emphasis on the aviation sector to boost investment in airport and airline infrastructure, and playing a role in generating new aviation investment partners.
Presently African countries with open skies policies are in the minority, like Uganda, Tanzania and Gabon, but this is now about to change. Airline operations on the African continent will have to meet IATA and ICAO standards and the implementation of open skies as it exists in EU countries, is seen by industry leaders as the way to the future.
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