Ethiopian Airlines spearheads liberalisation of African air transport market
Ethiopian Airlines has been hailed for its pioneering role in opening up the African Air Transport Market, fostering air transport connectivity across the continent.
The Consulting Director for Government, Legal, and Industry Affairs at the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Raphael Kuuchi said that Ethiopian Airways' proactive stance predated the African Union's conception of a Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), Ethiopian News Agency reports.
“Ethiopian Airlines has consistently championed the need to open up the market so that we can have open space for airlines to be able to travel, to operate freely and support the economic development and connectivity of this continent,” Kuuchi said.
“We want to see other airlines also to come up to where Ethiopian Airlines is. Ethiopia is not just comfortable being the only one, and the biggest on the continent. Ethiopia is going ahead and supporting other African airlines so that they too can come up because together we are stronger. That is the philosophy,” he added.
By empowering African airlines, Kuuchi remarked that the continent can capitalise on enhanced air traffic connectivity to spur growth and competitiveness vis-à-vis non-African carriers.
Further, Kuuchi highlighted the relationship between air transport liberalisation and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), noting the potential for improved intra-continental trade and mobility.
"As we liberalise our market, we unlock opportunities for intra-African trade, facilitating the movement of goods and people across borders," Kuuchi affirmed.
