Writer: Emily Wekulo
Imagine a scenario where travelling between Accra and Nairobi, Johannesburg and Addis Ababa, or Lagos and Cairo is as simple and affordable as flying between major cities in Europe or the United States. What if Africa’s airlines were interconnected, able to carry passengers seamlessly across the continent with fewer layovers, shorter travel times, and reduced costs?
This is the vision behind the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), an ambitious plan spearheaded by the African Union to create a unified, accessible, and efficient airspace for all African travellers.
The potential benefits are staggering. If fully realized, SAATM could make cross-border travel in Africa more accessible and affordable, encouraging tourism, trade, and economic growth. However, challenges remain, including airline competition, infrastructure needs, and political will.
But if African airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, EgyptAir, and South African Airways aligned under SAATM, they could unlock a powerful engine of growth, transforming Africa’s air transport landscape and positioning it for a promising future.
What Is the SAATM? And Why Does It Matter…
The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is an initiative under the African Union’s broader Agenda 2063, which aims to increase connectivity across Africa by creating a single, liberalized air transport market.
Inspired by the European Union’s Single Aviation Market, which facilitated greater movement and commerce across Europe, SAATM seeks to simplify air travel for Africans, eliminate restrictive bilateral air service agreements, and foster a more competitive and cooperative aviation sector.
Today, African travellers often face exorbitant costs and lengthy layovers even for relatively short journeys within the continent. For example, a traveller from Ghana to Zambia might need to pass through European or Middle Eastern hubs, taking several hours more and paying significantly higher fares than necessary.
SAATM promises a future where these inconveniences could disappear, with flights operating as easily between African countries as within them.
Easier Travel, Lower Costs, and Economic Growth
- More Affordable Air Travel
For many African travellers, the cost of air travel is prohibitively high. Currently, some intra-African flights can be as expensive as intercontinental flights due to limited competition and lack of direct routes. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), implementing SAATM could lead to a 25% reduction in airfares within Africa by fostering healthy competition among airlines. This price drop would enable more Africans to travel by air, democratizing air travel for millions.
- Boost to Local Economies
SAATM’s success could directly contribute to the economies of member countries by increasing tourism and trade. Research from IATA indicates that intra-African connectivity could increase by 75%, with an estimated 300,000 jobs created in aviation and related industries.
For instance, destinations such as Kenya’s Maasai Mara, Egypt’s historic monuments, and South Africa’s safari parks would likely see an influx of travellers from neighbouring countries, boosting local tourism sectors and encouraging broader regional spending.
- Seamless Connectivity Between African Airlines
African airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, EgyptAir, and South African Airways have become recognizable brands with extensive routes connecting Africa to the rest of the world. Yet, travel within Africa remains complex, with these airlines often competing instead of collaborating.
Under SAATM, these carriers could form code-sharing agreements, harmonize flight schedules, and open shared hubs that benefit all stakeholders. An Ethiopian Airlines flight might seamlessly connect to a Kenya Airways flight, making travel easier and expanding service areas for each airline.
What About Challenges? Pros and Cons…
Increased Competition and Quality of Service
With the entry of more airlines and liberalized skies, SAATM would likely intensify competition, driving airlines to offer better services, more attractive pricing, and frequent flights.
In regions like East and West Africa, where options are limited, increased competition could mean that airlines invest more in customer satisfaction to retain loyalty. However…
There are Infrastructure Strains and National Carrier Concerns
While the increase in air traffic would benefit travellers, many African airports may face capacity constraints, necessitating significant infrastructure upgrades.
Additionally, smaller or less competitive national carriers might struggle to survive in a more competitive market, leading to potential losses if they are unable to adapt or form partnerships with larger airlines.
Could SAATM Make Air Travel Affordable for Everyone?
Air travel across Africa has been dominated by high costs and a lack of accessibility, but with SAATM, this could change. For example, in Nigeria, where just 5% of the population currently flies, reduced fares could make air travel feasible for millions more, fundamentally transforming mobility across the country.
According to the African Development Bank, increasing air travel accessibility could raise Africa’s GDP by an additional $4.2 billion and boost trade by around 5%.
Affordability also depends on additional factors such as airport taxes, regulatory fees, and fuel costs, which vary widely across Africa. SAATM alone may not eliminate these issues but could create a platform for addressing them collectively.
The Future of African Travel…
If implemented widely, SAATM could reshape Africa’s travel industry by making air travel a realistic option for many Africans. It could also encourage African airlines to shift from being internationally focused to connecting, strengthening regional cooperation and creating unified air travel networks similar to those seen in Europe or North America.
- The Expansion of Hub Airports in Africa
Hub airports like Addis Ababa Bole, Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International, and Johannesburg’s OR Tambo could become vibrant connecting points, allowing travellers to seamlessly transit across Africa.
This would reduce layovers, enabling African destinations to serve as primary hubs for transcontinental flights rather than relying on European and Middle Eastern hubs.
- Stimulating Investment in Tourism and Hospitality
Increased passenger traffic could fuel investment in tourism infrastructure, benefiting hotels, resorts, and tour operators across Africa. SAATM could encourage partnerships among travel operators across borders, promoting regional travel packages that enhance both leisure and business tourism.
- Unifying Africa through Easier Travel
Perhaps the most profound impact of SAATM is its potential to unify Africa in an unprecedented way. More affordable and accessible air travel would allow families to reconnect across borders, students to explore educational opportunities in other African countries, and business professionals to engage in cross-border collaboration.
This ease of movement aligns with the African Union’s vision of a more integrated continent, enabling economic and cultural bonds to flourish.
The Single African Air Transport Market presents a future where African skies are open, connected, and accessible to all. It’s a bold vision that would lower airfares, boost economic growth, and make air travel as common as road travel.
While challenges remain, the potential for a connected Africa where travel is affordable and efficient for millions of people is a future worth pursuing.
If the continent’s airlines and governments can align their interests to make SAATM a reality, Africa could soon experience an air travel revolution—one that brings the continent closer together, opens new horizons and sets the stage for an era of unprecedented mobility and opportunity.
