The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and the Chairperson of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Mrs. Fatima Beyina-Moussa, discussed challenges and opportunities facing African carriers on the continent. They also talked about the move towards achieving African open skies, when they met for the first time, on Wednesday 19 August 2015, at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mrs. Beyina-Moussa, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Equatorial Congo Airlines, (ECAir), expressed AFRAA’s concerns that Africa’s skies are not fully liberalised, and the urgent need to implement the Yamoussoukro Decision. “Right now it is difficult to travel within Africa. African airlines did not understand before the importance of Yamoussoukro but now are committed to the liberalisation of Africa’s skies,” she noted the positive progress. Since the African Union Summit in January 2015, 11 Member States have already agreed to open their skies.

The AU Commission Chairperson commends the progress made and sees it as a motivation for others to follow suit. “The 11 countries should go ahead to show that it is possible, and the others will come around when they are ready. Opening our skies only to non-African airlines will only lead to the disappearance of African airlines,” Dr. Dlamini Zuma stressed.

African carriers still face a number of challenges especially fuel and services cost, inadequate infrastructure, lack of human resources and competition from non-African airlines. However, the prospects and benefits from open skies in Africa are great – it will create more jobs especially for the youth and improve the movement of people and goods within the continent, hence, enhancing intra-Africa trade.

AFRAA has 30 African airlines and serves as a continental body to promote and protect their common interests. The AU works closely with AFRAA to lobby Member States to promote the liberalisation of African skies.