Aviation experts from 19 countries across five African regional blocs have endorsed a model bilateral air services agreement, a step officials say could accelerate the continent’s decades-long push to liberalize skies and integrate markets under the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
- •The agreement, backed by the European Union, aims to harmonize fragmented air service rules across COMESA, the East African Community, IGAD, the Indian Ocean Community and SADC.
- •Officials said the template would simplify bilateral deals, dismantle restrictions, and speed up the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision, the landmark 1999 accord to liberalize Africa’s air transport sector.
- •An International Air Transport Association (IATA) study estimates that if just 12 key African markets liberalize, it could unlock US$ 1.3 billion in annual GDP and generate 155,000 jobs.
“By developing a model Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), we are creating a template for a more integrated, prosperous and connected Africa,” said Djibouti Civil Aviation Authority chief Daoud Ali Abdou. COMESA’s senior transport economist, Zacharia Kingori, added that with passenger traffic set to double by 2040, growth must “benefit all of our citizens.”
Yet implementation of Yamoussoukro has been slow, with countries relying on a patchwork of bilateral accords that often restrict market access.
So far, 34 nations including Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, and Morocco have signed onto Single African Air Transport Market, representing more than 80% of the continent’s aviation market.
The timing coincides with a rebound in Africa’s aviation industry. Passenger traffic is projected to climb 15.3% to 113 million in 2025, according to the African Airlines Association. Revenue growth has been robust, with carriers reporting a 19% jump in April from a year earlier. African airlines now control more than half of international seat capacity, Afraa data show.
Capacity bottlenecks remain. Overall seat supply in June fell 3% year-on-year, but intra-African routes posted a slight 0.1% increase, suggesting growing momentum behind regional connectivity. Cairo International Airport dominates as the continent’s busiest hub with 22.6% of total seat capacity, followed by Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo (14.8%) and Addis Ababa’s Bole (14.7%). Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta ranks seventh at 6.7%.