Iata predicts benefits of African liberalization
The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has published a report setting out the considerable social and economic benefits of intra-African air service liberalization. The document, compiled by the independent economic consultant Intervistas, outlines the benefits that would accrue if twelve African nations - Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Uganda - were to implement the 1999 Yamoussoukro decision. This decision committed 44 signatory countries to deregulating air services and to opening regional air markets to transnational competition. The implementation of this agreement, however, has been slow, and the benefits have not been realized.
"The additional services generated by liberalization between just twelve key markets will provide an extra 155,000 jobs and USD 1.3 billion in annual GDP," said Tony Tyler, Iata's director general and CEO.