BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
The effective use of aero dynamism and making every kind of link for the emerging nation is a building block for development, regional integration, and a spring board for further goal in terms of the context of Africa. It is obvious that mighty nation seemed to learn from their mistakes of fragmentation and disintegration and they are presently observed to cooperate each other living aside differences for mutualism.
In this accord they have built mega structures to swift all form of mobility and hasten logistics in air land and marine transport. Had it not been the fault of history, plot and conspiracies, Africa would have been seen as instance of cooperation in the transport sector and able to utilize the abundance nature blessed it. But there appeared a brake to prohibiting nations to stand together, no matter so late Africans are entering venture to up lift their influence in global level.
In precise terms, the initiatives to unite Africa in all forms of transportation and logistics is the mile stone to up line the prolonged queries of cooperation and give sense to the union. Handling the steer of cooperation and always in the fore front of mutual respect along with fellow countries, Ethiopia is ever dreamt to make the continent prosperous.
This is to mean that Ethiopia strives for the question of African economic and political equity without violating other nation of the world. One of the strategic inputs for African unison is putting in place the issue of transportation as one of the prior agenda there by facilitating people to people ties.
Ethiopia is working tirelessly to the implementation of a Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and to foster its flag carrier’s role in the continent’s aviation industry, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics said. The International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Focus Africa Conference 2023 held here at Addis Ababa recently to explore the potential in the sector.
Addressing the conference, Transport and Logistics State Minister Dhenge Boru said that African Heads of States have been promoting enabling initiatives including the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which are instrumental, if implemented by all, in enhancing people to people and economic ties in the continent.
Ethiopia will continue to play its role by taking part in all the initiatives endorsed by the AU towards the implementation of SAATM and its airliner is playing due role to integrate several economies in the continent and beyond. The Ethiopian government is committed to work with African counterparts and institutions like IATA to resolve hurdles impeding the development of Africa’s aviation industry including high cost of airport facilities, traffic right restrictions among others.
“The growth that we strive to achieve requires a shift to advance modernization and simplicity in service across the value chain. All the changes we aspire to witness need to be eased and backed with the necessary policy amendments and safety measures.” The government of Ethiopian is committed to take part in the initiatives that AU advocates to ease movement of people and liberalize traffic rights.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew for his part said that Africa is lagging far behind in the aviation industry due to several challenges that deter the growth of the sector. “African aviation has immense potential for growth and it is important to unlock this potential.”
Restrictive government policies, inadequate infrastructure, heavy taxes, lack of skilled labor force and proper governance were among the challenges Africa’s aviation industry has been facing. The Ethiopian airlines is working aggressively towards addressing those challenges. “Africa’s aviation is hampered by strict policies, inadequate infrastructure, gaps in connectivity and skilled workforce despite immense potential navigated for growth.”
For IATA Director General Willie Walsh, Africa is a very important partner and its aviation potential has immense potential to grow. “We have a number of key priorities in Africa in which safety is the first. Addressing the aviation sector challenges would remain our priority.”
About 23 countries signed a Memorandum of Understandings in the implementation of SAATM. Full implementation of the agreement across the continent has the potential to generate nearly 600,000 jobs and over 3.9 billion USD in GDP, the director general emphasized.
According to local media, the government of Ethiopia will continue to play its role by taking the initiative endorsed by the African Union towards the implementation of Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), State Minister of Transport and Logistics, Dhenge Boru said. This was disclosed at the opening of the two-day Focus Africa Conference kicked off recently in Addis Ababa.
Focus Africa has brought together airline CEOs along with aviation leaders, decision makers and influencers from Africa, the Middle East and globally to collaboratively drive the advancement of aviation in Africa. At the opening of the conference, State Minister of Transport and Logistics, Dhenge Boru said the government of Ethiopia is committed to taking part in the initiative that AU is advocating to ease the movement of people and liberalize traffic rights.
He recalled that African Heads of States have been promoting enabling initiative such as Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the Africa Continental Free Trade Areas (AfCFTA) which are instrumental in enhancing people to people and economic ties within African nations, ENA reported. He said, “My government will continue to play its role in the initiative endorsed by the African Union towards the implementation of SAATM.”
Moreover, he elaborated that the home-grown Ethiopian Airlines is playing its role to integrate several economies in the continent and beyond. We value the importance of air transport to socio-economic development of our country and the continent, he underlined. To this effect, he said Ethiopia has put in place the required infrastructure that facilitates the development of aviation.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General, Willie Walsh, on his part said that some 23 countries signed a Memorandum of Understandings in the implementation of SAATM.“But none unfortunately have ratified this,” he said. Full implementation of SAATM across the continent has the potential to generate nearly 600,000 jobs and over 3.9 billion US dollars in GDP, he added.
Walsh further said in Ethiopia alone, we believe SAATM could support an additional 21,000 jobs and contribute over 80 million US dollars to GDP. “We have launched Focus Africa to strengthen aviation’s contribution to the economic and social development and to support the development of the market,” he noted.
CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew said that African airlines and partners have to work together with better cooperation to overcome challenges the airlines facing today. He reaffirmed that Ethiopian Airlines is committed to advocating free movement of people and goods in the continent. He called on all actors of African aviations to join hand and collectively voice for the fast implementation of SAATM and AfCFTA.
Focus Africa also seeks to develop a safer, more secure, and better-connected continent, driven by a diverse, skilled workforce to unleash aviation’s potential and unlocks the commercial and economic opportunities that will help grow the industry across the continent. The conference will focus on Africa’s challenges and opportunities include improving safety and security, smarter regulations, strengthening connectivity, airlines modern retailing, among other issues.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 27 JUNE 2023
