{"id":928,"date":"2024-11-16T06:25:09","date_gmt":"2024-11-16T06:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kendiritasafaris.co.ke\/Blog\/?p=928"},"modified":"2024-11-16T08:22:01","modified_gmt":"2024-11-16T08:22:01","slug":"understanding-the-single-african-air-transport-market-saatm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kendiritasafaris.co.ke\/Blog\/understanding-the-single-african-air-transport-market-saatm\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Imagine a future where traveling between African countries is as easy and affordable as it is hopping from city to city in Europe. This vision may be closer than we might think, thanks to SAATM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Single African Air Travel Market (SAATM) agreement is a flagship initiative of the African Union Transformation Agenda 2063(The Africa We Want<\/em>). It was launched in 2018 by African heads of state and governments to create a unified air transport market and ensure the liberalization of civil aviation in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is air travel liberalization?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Simply put, liberalization of air travel is the process of reducing restrictions on air travel and allowing for greater commercial freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, Kendirita Tours<\/a> will share the impact of SAATM on African nations if fully implemented, and what our travelers stand to gain from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air travel statistics:<\/h2>\n\n\n
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One of the traditional indicators of a region\u2019s importance in international aviation has been population size, with the United States being the largest air travel market in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2019 passenger data indicated that the African market flew 100 million passengers. In the same year, the E.U. flew over 1.1 billion passengers, Latin America 350 million, and the Middle East flew 228 million travelers despite these regions being smaller in size than Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, a survey done by AITA<\/a> suggests that if just 12 African countries opened their air markets, an extra 155,000 jobs would be created in aviation and aviation-enabled tourism, and about 1.3 billion USD added to those countries’ GDPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To date, 34 African countries including Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, and Zimbabwe have already signed up to SAATM. They represent 80% of the existing aviation market in Africa. The remaining African nations are encouraged and expected to sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does SAATM mean for Travelers?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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With SAATM, countries will open their skies to each other, promoting direct flights between African cities and allowing airlines to expand their routes more freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our travelers stand to benefit in the following ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n