Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)
Progress
50%Aim
The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) liberalises civil aviation across the continent by eliminating restrictions on routes, frequencies, and capacity between participating states, building on the 1999 Yamoussoukro Decision to make African skies as open as possible.
Progress to date
As of early 2025, 38 AU member states have formally committed to SAATM. The AU has established a Monitoring Body and a Dispute Settlement Mechanism, and new intra-African routes have expanded in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya where open-skies policies are most advanced.
Challenges
Bilateral Air Services Agreements still override the Yamoussoukro Decision in practice, high airport charges reduce route viability, and many states protect their national carriers by limiting foreign airline access.
Next steps
The AU Commission is pushing remaining member states to join, working with AFCAC to harmonise safety and economic regulations, and pressing for a formal legal override of conflicting bilateral agreements by 2026.