Story by Vongai Masuka
Zimbabwe has hosted the Single African Air Transport Market Implementation Project, SAATM PIP Airshow, at Rainbow Towers in Harare, as African aviation leaders push to accelerate air transport liberalization and improve connectivity across the continent.
Running under the theme _”Acceleration of Air Transport Liberalization in Africa to Improve Continental Connectivity and Integration”_, the airshow is mandated to make air travel more affordable and accessible across Africa by removing regulatory and market barriers that have long constrained the sector.
Addressing delegates, African Civil Aviation Commission Secretary General Ms Adefunke Adeyemi said Zimbabwe has positioned itself as a key implementer of SAATM in Southern Africa.
“Zimbabwe signed the SAATM Solemn Commitment in January 2018 and has since embraced open skies, granted fifth-freedom rights, and attracted more than 18 airlines,” Ms Adeyemi said.
She added that aviation is already a significant contributor to the national economy.
“Aviation already contributes an estimated 200 million US dollars to Zimbabwe’s GDP and supports 40,000 jobs.”
The SAATM framework, adopted under Agenda 2063, seeks to liberalize intra-African air services in line with the Yamoussoukro Decision, allowing eligible airlines to operate freely across the continent.
Regional institutions also pledged support for implementation.
In his address, the Manager for Economic Policy and Advocacy at the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission, Mr Kondwani Kaonga, said COMESA is proud to be associated with AFCAC in delivering this implementation.
A representative from the African Union Commission’s Free Movement Protocol also commended Zimbabwe for hosting, saying SAATM is a direct response to challenges in Africa’s aviation and transport sector, including high fares, limited routes, and poor connectivity.
The government outlined further policy alignment during the event.
In a keynote address, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Hon Adv F. T Mhona said Zimbabwe is currently reassessing all Bilateral Air Services Agreements with SAATM member states to ensure compliance with the Yamoussoukro Decision.
“I have no doubt that this pilot project will enrich our collective aspirations and strengthen our determination to build an interconnected Africa as one of the critical enablers of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The SAATM facilitates the seamless movement of people, goods, services and investment across the African continent, as we move towards the Africa we want by the year 2063,” Minister Mhona said.
“The full implementation of SAATM remains of strategic importance to Africa’s socio-economic transformation through the adoption of compliant Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs). Member States can now eliminate unnecessary air transport restrictions and create an environment that enables African airlines to establish new direct routes. This will significantly reduce travel times, improve connectivity, and facilitate trade and tourism,” Minister Mhona added
The Minister also called for the dismantling of barriers such as excessive protectionism, market access restrictions, and non-tariff impediments that continue to impede the growth of African aviation.
Mr Edmund Makona, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Zimbabwe and Ambassador of the SAATM Airshow, said the platform is designed to deliver practical results.
Mr Makona also said that the SAATM Airshow is mandated to dismantle barriers, open markets, and connect people, goods and economies across the continent.
Stakeholders noted that full implementation of SAATM is expected to reduce intra-African fares, increase flight frequencies, and support trade and tourism under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The Airshow forms part of the pilot implementation phase aimed at monitoring progress, fostering peer learning, and driving investment into aviation infrastructure across SAATM member states.
