According to a report from online tourism website, etnw more than 20 countries have subscribed to a single African air transport market.

David Kajange, head of the transport and tourism division at the African Union (AU),said that the countries that have subscribed include, South Africa, Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Togo and Zimbabwe.

Furthermore he expects more than 40 will have signed on by January.

The single African air transport market forms part of an Open Skies for Africa vision, first realised in the 1980s. It culminated in the adoption of the Yamassoukro Decision of African heads of state in November 1999.

David said Africa became the most expensive air transport market in the world because of individual nations’ policies and regulations that hinder air connectivity.

A single air transport market is one of the goals of AU’s Agenda 2063. The agenda hopes to connect the whole of Africa through aviation to achieve integration and boost intra-Africa trade.

Linden Birns, md of Plane Talking, said the announcement is an encouraging sign. “Now we need national legislators to ensure an enabling regulatory framework is put in place to enable this,” he added Linden.

Source: Namibia Economist