Rwanda Committed Airspace Tender

The government of Rwanda is committed to continue working with the rest of African countries towards liberalizing air transport on the continent Minister of Infrastructure Amb. Claver Gatete said on Monday. Minister Gatete was addressing African aviation stakeholders gathering in Kigali for the Capacity Building Workshop on the Institutional and Regulatory Texts of the Yamoussoukro Decision YD.Organised by the African Civil Aviation Commission AFCAC in collaboration with the African Union Commission AUC the three-day workshop brings together senior aviation officials airlines officials and experts responsible for air transport regulations as well as Regional Economic Communities RECs including COMESA EAC IGAD and SADC to elaborate the adopted regulations on the Powers and Functions of the Executing Agency Competition and Consumer Protection Regulations. This workshop is expected to raise awareness on YD and make the remaining states in Africa commit to the implementation YDSAATM.In his opening address Minister Gatete reiterated Rwandas continued support to Yamoussoukro Decision and the Single African Air Transport Market SAATM while mentioning various strides made by the country to liberalize its air space. The benefits of air transport liberalization from YD implementation cannot be overemphasized due to the economic potential and opportunities that air connectivity brings about Minister Gatete said.Adopted on 14th November 1999 the Yamoussoukro Decision YD remains the single most important air transport reform policy initiative undertaken by African governments to date. It was adopted to create further liberalization of air space in Africa by addressing loopholes left by the Bilateral Air Services Agreements BASAs whereby restrictive and protectionist provisions had hampered the expansion and improvement of the air transport industry. Research has shown that these restrictive and protectionist BASAs enabled the stakeholders to limit capacity therefore driving up prices and creating an expensive air transport sector. As a result intra-African air transport remained costly and inefficient especially in those cases where the bilateral air services agreements protected state-owned carriers Minister Gatete said.On 28 Jan 2018 during the AU Assembly of the 30th Ordinary Session the Single African Air Transport Market SAATM was launched towards implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision. SAATM is one of the key flagship projects of the AU Agenda 2063.