HILKA BIRNS / KASANE, BOTSWANA
An open skies agreement for African airlines moved a step closer last week, when the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC) agreed on joint competition regulations and the appointment of a joint monitoring body.
This means the so-called Yamoussoukro Decision (YD), providing for open skies over Africa for African carriers, can now be implemented immediately in these regions, says Airline Association of Southern Africa chief executive John Morrison.
YD refers to an agreement, first signed by African leaders at Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire, in 1988 and ratified in 1999, to further co-operation among African airlines and liberalise air transport for African carriers. The agreement was endorsed by the then Organisation of African Unity (now African Union), COMESA and SADC.
Morrison says the Transport Ministers of SADC, EAC and COMESA approved the competitions regulations at a meeting in Pretoria in September. They agreed to the formation of a regional monitoring body within six months to oversee the implementation of YD principles within the three regions. He says a lack of competition regulations and dispute resolution procedures had prevented the implementation of YD.
What is still lacking is progress by other African regions towards open skies. Morrison believes that the situation will not improve until the existing Continental Monitoring Body (CMB) - which has met only once since its formation in 2000 and is charged with the implementation of YD across the continent - "assumes its full responsibility".
Source: Flight International
