The Implications of Africa’s Single Aviation Market on Immigration/Travel — Khehla Miya
About Three decades the concept of single aviation market was first proposed by the then 54-member African countries.
Earlier this year 2018, during the first AU General Assembly in 2018, 23 African states, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, have launched a single aviation market in a bid to boost connectivity, reduce fares and stimulate economic growth on a continent widely considered the most expensive and inconvenient to fly around.
The first phase of the Single African Air Transport Market which officials hope it will eventually replicate the European or Asian Common Aviation Area, which allows airlines from member states to fly between any member state. Airline executives, as well as industry analysts, welcomed this move as a “seismic event” but cautioned that much more work was needed to create genuinely open skies in Africa. David hosted Mr. Miya, a Senior Manager: Government Strategy, Corporate Compliance, Consular Services and Document Procurement at Fragomen’s Johannesburg office, to discuss the implication of the recent announcement of 23 African countries signing Africa’s Single Aviation Market. This is one of the major moves towards achieving the ambitious Agenda 2064 which is tagged ‘The Africa We want; A Shared Strategic Framework for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.
In its implementation, Agenda 2063 is leveraging on past and current initiatives which include: the Lagos Plan of Action, The Abuja Treaty, The Minimum Integration Programme, the Programme for Infrastructural Development in Africa (PIDA), the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Regional Plans and Programmes and National Plans. It is also built on national, regional, continental best practices in its formulation.
Originally published at www.africabusinessradio.com.