EAC Pressed to Speed Up SAATM to Drive Investment Growth
By Peace Muthoka
Nairobi, February 25, 2026 — The East African Community must accelerate the implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market to unlock trade and investment across the continent.
That message came in a statement delivered on behalf of Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission, during the East African Business and Investment Summit in Nairobi.
Captain Gilbert Kibe, former Director General of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, read the statement at a high-level session organised by the Commission in partnership with the East African Business Council.
The summit, held alongside the East African Business and Investment Expo 2026, brought together policymakers, investors and private sector leaders to advance regional integration.
In the statement, Adeyemi described air transport as Africa’s economic lifeline, not a luxury.
She noted that Africa covers 31 million square kilometres, yet many countries still face limited road and rail networks. As a result, air connectivity remains critical for mobility, trade and development.
She linked aviation reform to the continent’s broader integration agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Single African Air Transport Market.
Efficient air connectivity, she said, drives tourism, attracts foreign direct investment and supports the movement of skills and services. Moreover, a liberalised air transport system reduces the cost of doing business and strengthens regional supply chains.
However, she stressed that governments cannot deliver this transformation alone.
She urged the private sector to expand intra-African airline networks, invest in modern airport infrastructure, strengthen cargo and logistics systems and support innovation, including sustainable aviation fuel.
Adeyemi explained that SAATM seeks to remove market access barriers and promote fair competition among African airlines. In turn, this approach enhances connectivity and stimulates economic growth.
She pointed to recent progress. Inter-African connectivity has risen to about 23 percent, up from 14.5 percent in 2015. In addition, more than 113 new intra-African routes have launched in recent years, including services operated under fifth freedom traffic rights.
Even so, she admitted that Africa has yet to realise the full benefits of liberalisation.
Many bilateral air service agreements still contain restrictive clauses that contradict the Yamoussoukro Decision and the SAATM framework. At the same time, visa regimes, high taxes and multiple charges continue to push up travel costs and limit passenger growth.
Therefore, she called on East African Community states to harmonise regulations, ease visa requirements and reduce excessive aviation taxes and fees.
She also urged business leaders to back liberalisation efforts and advocate for policy reforms that improve the operating environment for aviation and trade.
“Platforms such as this summit help align policy priorities with business realities,” the statement noted.
Adeyemi challenged regional leaders to focus on practical steps that lower travel costs, remove barriers and strengthen trade links.
“Let us work together to unlock Africa’s connectivity potential and build a truly borderless continent,” the statement said.
