In January 2018, 24 African countries launched the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
The SAATM permits airlines to fly freely between African Union member states.
The marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in African aviation cooperation.
The enhanced connectivity will stimulate demand, competition, and accessibility, and will be invaluable in promoting and supporting the continent’s growth.
The agreement will particularly benefit passengers by providing lower fares and more convenient scheduling.
IATA forecasts that over the next 20 years the demand for aviation across Africa will increase by 5.7 percent annually. By 2023, Africa will have 350 million airline passengers each year.
Passengers flying from Europe to Africa will gain from the SAATM through greater numbers of new routes across the continent, leading to better access to more countries.
There will be important effects for Geneva, too. Many local-based United Nations (UN) staff travel to Africa for work. The SAATM agreement will make trips between regional offices easier. In particular, this will benefit UN staff in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa has 27 resident UN Agencies), Kenya (31) and Senegal (24).
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