Lack of air connectivity stymies regional growth

Failure to liberalise intra-Africa air routes is costing sub-Saharan Africa’s major airlines millions of dollars, according to International Air Transport Association senior economist James Wiltshire. “Airlines have the power and potential to transform economic growth in Africa – and the key to unlocking that growth is air service liberalisation and improved air connectivity between neighbours,” Wiltshire told delegates at last week’s Iata Aviation Day Africa conference in Sandton. Iata formally launched the 96-page report, ‘Transforming Intra-African Air Connectivity: The Economic Benefits of Implementing the Yamassoukro Decision’ at the conference and received endorsement from South Africa’s Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters as well as her Ghanaian counterpart, Dzifa Ativor. Peters said that the South African government was committed to pushing for improved aviation inter-connectivity in Africa. “We are currently negotiating bi-lateral trade agreements with a number of countries on the continent – including improved air route networks,” she said. “Currently it is very difficult for people on the continent to do business as they often have to fly to another African country via Europe or the Middle East simply to deliver goods or have a business meeting as the routes are not there.” She said it was currently more cost-effective to do business on a global scale than on a regional or continental one. “This needs to change to ensure broader economic transformation in Africa,” noted Peters. She told FTW on the sidelines of the conference that government was making headway in its plans to reposition South Africa’s national carrier, South African Airways (SAA), as a major aviation player on the African continent. “We hope to see results on SAA’s economic turnaround strategy in two or three years,” she said.