The Nigerian aviation industry is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years following the signing of the solemn commitment to liberal air transport treaty by Nigeria and 22 other African countries, after the formal establishment and inauguration of a Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) at the 30th General Assembly of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is expected that the established regional air transport treaty will open the doors to very much reduced cost of air travel within the continent.
The SAATM is an open sky treaty that encourages the liberalization of the rules and regulations of civil/commercial aviation to create a free market environment for eligible airlines of the 23 countries and fully operate the traffic rights provided for in the Yamoussoukro decision. This is a welcome development and a step in the right direction by all the countries involved. Some observers might wonder why some African countries have not agreed to SAATM, one may argue that the whole African continent is not developed but variably all African states has got an aerodrome facility, and so it could be established the only hindrance to a unified Africa is the predominantly unstable polity and our leaders.
As the treaty comes into force, we cannot pretend about the undesirable state of many African airlines. Even Africans, given a choice will patronize international airlines above African airlines over security concern, poor customer service and other related issues. A critical look at the market in Africa will reveal that, more than seventy per cent of international passengers are transported by international airlines while African airlines scramble for the remaining less than thirty per cent. This still causes a huge disparity in our skies.
Some African airlines do not even fly into popular destinations like Lagos and Johannesburg. Obviously, if SAATM is fully implemented, it will improve inter-state travels within African states.
Air travel in Africa is not only expensive, its time consuming, keeps families apart due to long stop-over periods and also hinder socio-economic development of nations.
Africa, as a continent needs to integrate her airspaces as a resource to in turn reduce transactional cost and air travel fare. An observer was of the opinion that having a single air transport market will eventually lead to monopoly by major African carrier and also favour African carriers more than it can make International airlines remain fully in business on African routes.
To conclude, a desirable complementary policy to the SAATM will be the issuance of visas on arrival for Africans, or a single visa covering all African states; this will become a catalyst to address the stress of Visa Application for Africans visiting other African states; pretty much like the Schengen visa policy. It will also enhance social integration and improve our regional economy. Africa really needs policies that enhance integration to enable the continent realize its full socio-economic potential.
Victor O. Oyejide,
Ibadan
