Upheavals in global political and trade relations mean that the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) initiative has run out of time, asserted outgoing South African regional and domestic airline Airlink CEO and MD Rodger Foster, in an address to the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (which represents international, regional and domestic airlines and ground handlers operating to, from and within South Africa). He referred to SAATM as a “stale” idea, and bluntly called it a “sad old sow”.

He pointed out that the initiative was now 38 years old. He summarised its history: launched in 1988 as the Yamoussoukro Declaration, updated in 1999 as the Yamoussoukro Decision, and “in 2018, more lipstick was applied to the pig, and it was repackaged as SAATM”.

“It’s a wonderful idea,” he affirmed. “It would have been great if it had worked. Some of us in this room, myself included, wear the scars of our idealism. But, after 38 years, it seems more of a dud than a silver bullet.”

He recognised the commitment to the SAATM by the officials of the African Union (AU) and its agency, the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), and their attempts to get African governments to sign up to, and implement, the SAATM. But the governments have failed to do so. The AU and AFCAC were “toothless tigers” because no African country had ceded any sovereign powers to them.

“Political words have been plentiful. It’s the will that’s lacking,” he observed. “Is SAATM even still feasible at a time when the world is being driven further away from globalisation and forced back to nationalistic protectionism?”

The liberalisation of air transport across Africa had been very limited, and had often been done on a bilateral basis. “Airlines from one country still have to apply to other countries’ economic regulators for access. It is still impossible to operate freely within the continent. There are however exceptions, pockets of excellence.”

He pointed out that, across Africa, there was a failure to implement the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s ideals. Thus, there was still a lack of reciprocal recognition of airworthiness certification and licences. This insistence by African civil aviation agencies on undertaking their own audits of foreign operational protocols and facilities imposed costs that were unnecessary and “exorbitant” on applying airlines. Some African countries imposed “extortionate” permit and handling rules and fees on airlines, as a form of protectionism.

“So let’s stop kidding ourselves,” he asserted. “SAATM is beyond rescue and we should accept that its’ moment has passed and pivot to something realistic and fit for purpose. As we’ve seen with countries such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia, lifting some of the bilateral restrictions on frequencies, capacity and ports of entry can deliver immediate meaningful positive results.”