ADDIS ABABA (Semonegna)–The Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), which is one of a flagship projects set to realize the content’s economic integration, is in the fast track, the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism, Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, said.
In a press briefing she gave today, Commissioner Dr. Abou-Zeid said 2018 was a special moment which brought major achievements for the effective functioning of SAATM.
The African Union (AU) launched SAATM – An Agenda 2063 Flagship Project– with 23 member states as one of the mega projects of the AU Agenda 2063, it was indicated.
“Since the launching of the project, the commission has undertaken intensive advocacy for more states to join and about 28 members are at present in the market and covering over 700 million persons,” the commissioner stated.
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Africa has given great emphasis on speeding up connectivity across the continent, leading to sustainable development, Commissioner Dr. Abou-Zeid further stated, adding that SAATM will accelerate the aviation and tourism industries in the continent.
She revealed that flagship infrastructures, including renewable energy and road projects, are being built across the continent to facilitate regional integration.
African Union hopes that a total of at least 40 member states would join the Single Africa Air Transport Market by the end of this year and all the union members would be in the market by 2021.
What is the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)?
SAATM is a flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063, an initiative of the African Union to create a single unified air transport market in Africa, the liberalization of civil aviation in Africa and as an impetus to the Continent’s economic integration agenda. During the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the OAU / AU in 2013, the African Union (AU) leadership expressed the desire to give a stronger and more ambitious impetus to the Continent’s socio-economic development and integration agenda. On that occasion, the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 was elaborated in which some flagship projects were selected and included on the basis of their high potential for changing the face of Africa substantively in that duration. Among these projects are the creation of a Single African Air Transport Market and the African Passport.