Ministers from African Union member states have recommitted to accelerating the implementation of Open Skies across the continent under the decades-old Yamoussoukro Decision and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), adopted in 2018.
The move acknowledges the need to move beyond political commitments to measurable implementation by removing the barriers that continue to constrain African air transport.
On June 16, ministers responsible for transport, tourism, trade, and finance adopted the so-called Lomé Declaration during the first African Air Transport Convention and Exhibition held in Togo from June 15 to 19 under the auspices of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC).
The declaration commits member states to removing market access barriers, liberalising air services, reducing excessive aviation taxes and fees, streamlining visas and border processes, strengthening air cargo networks, investing in modern aviation infrastructure, supporting sustainable aviation fuels and cleaner energy, improving air travel affordability, accelerating digital transformation and skills development, and bolstering safety, security, and regulatory oversight to advance SAATM and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The ministers also launched the AFCAC Solidarity Commitment 2026-2028, aimed at strengthening the commission's capacity to implement SAATM and coordinating continental aviation priorities, the aviation authority said in a statement.
"The AFCAC Solidarity Commitment provides a practical mechanism for mobilising direct financial resourcing, technical assistance, in-kind support, capacity-building, tools, systems, and project-based support in a transparent, accountable, auditable, and results-oriented manner," the statement said.
The authority will prepare a post-Lomé implementation roadmap setting out priority actions, responsible institutions, timelines, resource requirements, and reporting mechanisms.
The declaration does not specify how AFCAC will compel member states to comply with SAATM commitments. By 2025, 38 of the African Union's 55 member states had signed up to the initiative, but considerably fewer have incorporated its provisions into national legislation.
