The SAATM PIP
The Single African Air Transport Market Pilot Implementation Project (SAATM-PIP) is an initiative aimed to accelerate the implementation of the YD and SAATM through an approach which clusters small groups of countries to promote the benefits and address the impediments of implementation.
The multi-stakeholder approach is designed to facilitate a harmonized and consistent approach towards increasing traffic through 5th freedom routes between and across the cluster of countries to 30% by 2025.
”"With the launch of the SAATM PIP, the Presidents will be receiving a yearly report on the SAATM implementation"
Adefunke AdeyemiSecretary General
Purpose
The SAATM PIP was launched to move the African liberalisation journey forward. In 2022, an IATA study found that market liberalization between African States was less than 15%, demonstrating a need for a unified approach along with consistent support for members. The goal of SAATM-PIP therefore is to improve 5th freedom traffic operations across Africa from the current level of 14.5% to 30% by 2025 and increase inter-sectoral collaboration and synergies between air transport institutions and other sectors of the economy such as trade, tourism etc.
PIP Approach
The foundation of the SAATM is the Air Services Agreements. Using an analysis carried out on 607 BASAs, we, at AFCAC, have identified the most YD-compliant countries. Using these states as examples, we have created a template for a new model which will be plurilateral rather than bilateral.
Key Stakeholders
Driving the SAATM PIP to success depends on the commitment of our key stakeholders.
Our first tier of stakeholders are the continent’s Presidents. They have already committed to the SAATM PIP and many have signed the treaty.
Our second tier of key stakeholders is our Ministerial level who have the authority to monitor the implementation progress and to report back to the Presidents. At this level we also have a strong level of buy-in and support.
The third tier, the operational level, includes a variety of stakeholders such as: the countries, National Implementation Committees for the SAATM, Focal Points for the SAATM, Civil Aviation Authorities, Airports, Airspace Agencies, Airlines, immigration services, customs, and so on. We are collaborating with our third-tier stakeholders to understand their challenges and to support them in the process of fully implementing the YD.
Presidential Reporting System
In order to ensure Presidents, remain informed about the SAATM implementation progress, we have introduced the Presidential Reporting System on the SAATM. In this reporting system, the President of the Champion State of SAATM [Togo, as of 2023] will report on the SAATM progress to the African Union.
The current Chairperson of the African Union [President Macky Sall of Senegal, as of 2023] will then call a meeting with all 19 country Presidents in the SAATM PIP.
The SAATM PIP Agreements
Launched in November of 2022 in Dakar, Senegal with 14 Air Transport Ministers along with representatives from 20 African States, the SAATM PIP set out the following agreements:
1. Tracking – The States´s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAs) will participate by tracking the full implementation of the YD/SAATM and the monitoring audit programme. They will also carry out gap analyses and corrective action plans.
2.Regulation – The CAAs and AFCAC will observe Article 11, Part 5 of Annex 4 of the YD and will take the necessary measures to ensure appropriate confidentiality and data protection.
3.Representative – The CAAs will designate an appropriately qualified representative. This person will act as a facilitator, responsible for providing the EA with the required information to successfully complete the audit.
4.Communication – The designated representative will regularly update the appropriate parties on: responses to the State and eligible airline YD survey protocol, copies of BASAs, copies of national regulations, letters of approval of designated eligible airlines, and completing the online YD/SAATM monitoring questionnaire.
5.Monitoring – The YD monitoring audit will cover:
- Relevant legislation and regulation
- CAA economic oversight organisation
- Granting of market access/BASAs
- Airline designation and application of the YD eligibility criteria
- Confirmation of State performance on the ICAO safety and security audit programmes
- Effective competition and consumer protection oversight systems
- Eligible airline implementation of the YD based on airline related KPIs
6.Compliance – The ACAAs agrees to maintain an updated compliance checklist.
7.Availability – The relevant information will be made available to the Executing Agency audit team. The Executing Agency will report on findings and recommendations.
8.Critical KPIs – The project will investigate the following seven critical KPIs:
KPI-1: The State has promulgated essential national laws/regulations that give effect to the provisions of the Yamoussoukro Decision and its institutional and regulatory instruments, within their respective territory.
KPI-2: The State has a YD compliant BASA/MASA or an alternative instrument that enables the State to grant market access and the liberalisation of intra-African air transport services within its territory to designated African eligible airlines.
KPI-2.1: The State has granted, as a minimum, the fifth freedom traffic right of the air for all routes and sectors linking its territory with other SAATM Member States to designated African eligible airlines.
KPI-3: The State has an appropriate organisation to ensure a YD oversight and surveillance system for the liberalised intra-African air transport market within its territory.
KPI-9: The State’s aeronautical authority has a process and procedure to ensure that the State complies with relevant safety provisions in the YD as well as with Effective Implementation of the eight (8) critical elements (CEs) of the State’s safety oversight system greater or equal to the Global Average.
KPI-10: The State’s aeronautical authority has a process and procedure to ensure that the State complies with the security related provisions in the annexes to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation. The State’s aeronautical authority procedure also enables the State to consider any request from any other State Party for special security measures to meet a particular threat.
KPI-16: The State has a process and procedure to systematically monitor and evaluate the liberalisation of air transport services and the benefits of SAATM.
9. Supporting KPIs – The project will investigate the following twelve supporting KPIs:
KPI-4: The State’s aeronautical authority has a YD oversight/surveillance process and procedure to ensure air service operators comply with State Parties regulatory requirements.
KPI-5: The State has promulgated appropriate regulations, applicable to scheduled and non-scheduled intra-Africa air transport services, prohibiting any practice, agreement or conduct, which might have anti-competitive effect on the African aviation market.
KPI-6: The State’s aeronautical authority has a process and procedure to ensure implementation of the State’s competition regulations.
KPI-7: The State has promulgated appropriate regulations to comply with Annex 6 of the YD that protects air transport consumers against unfair treatment in the provision of services as well as prescribes the right of consumers and the responsibilities of air transport undertakings in the protection of consumers, applicable to air transport services within Africa.
KPI-8: The State’s aeronautical authority has an oversight/surveillance process and procedure to ensure that consumer rights are protected, applicable to fare paying passengers and passengers having tickets issued under a frequent flyer programme, other commercial arrangements or programmes by an airline or tour operator including consumers of air cargo transport services.
KPI-10: The State’s aeronautical authority has a process and procedure to ensure that the State complies with the security related provisions in the annexes to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation. The State’s aeronautical authority procedure also enables the State to consider any request from any other State Party for special security measures to meet a particular threat.
KPI-11: The designated African eligible airline has an approved policy and procedure to comply with State regulations that encompass the Yamoussoukro Decision and its institutional and regulatory instruments as the basis for operating scheduled and non-scheduled intra-African air transport services.
KPI-12: The designated African eligible airline has an approved policy and procedures to comply with State Parties’ competition obligations in operating scheduled and non-scheduled intra-African air transport services.
KPI-13: The designated African eligible airline has an approved policy and procedures to comply with State Parties’ consumer protection obligations in operating scheduled and non-scheduled intra-African air transport services.
KPI-14: The designated African eligible airline is able to operate scheduled and/or unscheduled intra-African air transport services within a liberalised SAATM.
KPI-14.1: The designated African eligible airline is able to operate all logical fifth freedom rights of the air on routes/sectors within the liberalised SAATM, from the territories of States served within its route network.
KPI-15: The designated African eligible airline operating scheduled and/or unscheduled intra-African air transport services within a liberalised SAATM, has a policy and procedure to fully comply with the provisions of YD Annex 6 on regulations on the protection of the consumers.
Progress Report on the 5th Freedom Traffic Rights as year 2023
- Transair Senegal : Dakar – Abidjan – Bamako
- Air Côte d’Ivoire : Abidjan – Abuja – Lome
- Kenya Airways : Nairobi – Accra – Dakar
- Mauritanian Airlines : Nouakchott – Bangui – Cotonou
- Lam Mozambique: Maputo – Harare
- Afrijet: Libreville – Cotonou – Sao Tome & Principle
- Kenya Airways: Nairobi – Accra – Freetown
- Asky Airlines: Lome – Ouagadougou – Lagos
- Ceiba: Malabo – Pointe Noire – Kinshasa
- Ethiopian Airlines : Addis Abeba – Conakry – Ouagadougou
- Ethiopian Airlines : Addis Abeba – Ndola – Bulawayo
- Air Côte d’Ivoire : Abidjan – Kinshasa – Johannesburg
- Asky : Lome – Paia – Bissau
Several issues related to destination and authorization between States have been resolved such as
- Nigeria / Gabon
- Gabon / South Africa
- Nigeria / Togo
- Madagascar / South Africa
- Nigeria / Côte d’Ivoire
SAATM PIP Countries
1. Cabo Verde
2. Cameroon
3. Central African Republic
4. Congo Republic
5. Côte d’Ivoire
6. Ethiopia
7. Gabon
8. Gambia
9. Ghana
10. Kenya
11. Morocco
12. Mozambique
13. Namibia
14. Niger
15. Nigeria
16. Rwanda
17. Senegal
18. South Africa
19. Togo
20. Zambia