African governments, regulators, and industry leaders must abandon unexecuted policy strategies and take immediate, decisive action to unlock the continent’s underperforming aviation market, Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) Chief Executive Officer Aaron Munetsi declared at the organization’s 56th Annual General Assembly in Mauritius.
Addressing international delegates, Munetsi warned that decades of costly strategic studies and unimplemented declarations have left African air transport operating well below its true capacity, failing to capitalize on an expanding demographic dividend and a projected middle class of 300 million people by 2030.
To bridge the persistent execution gap, AASA outlined five imperative reform pillars aimed at accelerating regional passenger and air cargo integration: enforcing uncompromising safety standards, capping hyper-inflationary aviation taxes and user charges, modernizing airport infrastructure, standardizing regulatory procedures across borders, and fully implementing the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to dismantle protectionist route restrictions.
Emphasizing that air connectivity serves as a foundational economic multiplier rather than a luxury service, Munetsi urged regional stakeholders to deliver reliable, reasonably priced flights, streamlined border processing, and frictionless digital payment systems to drive intra-African trade and long-term socio-economic inclusion.
ABJ/APA