Zim pushes SAATM rollout at Harare Airshow

HARARE - Zimbabwe has pledged to accelerate the liberalisation of African skies as it hosted the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) Pilot Implementation Project Airshow in Harare.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Felix Mhona said SAATM was central to facilitating the seamless movement of people, goods, services and investment across the continent as Africa moves towards its long‑term vision under Agenda 2063.

"Zimbabwe is currently reassessing all BASAs with the SAATM member states to ensure they are in compliance with the Yamoussoukro Decision," Mhona told delegates.

He said the country had implemented all eight SAATM concrete measures and reaffirmed its support for the Lomé Ministerial Declaration of June 2026, which calls for accelerated rollout of SAATM.

COMESA Director of Infrastructure and Logistics, Dr Bernard Dzawanda, delivering remarks on behalf of Secretary‑General Chileshe Kapwepwe, said the Airshow was a practical platform aimed at aligning Air Service Agreements with the AFCAC YD‑compliant template and dismantling barriers that hinder connectivity, including non‑harmonised application costs, delayed carrier designations and high taxes, charges and fees.

Dzawanda noted that 38 AU member states have signed the Solemn Commitment to SAATM, while the Pilot Implementation Project now brings together 21 states, with a target of increasing Fifth Freedom traffic operations from 23 percent to 30 percent by 2027.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe Director‑General George Mashababe said SAATM remained "a critical enabler for the sustainable development of air transport in Africa" and a cornerstone of the aviation sector's recovery and resilience strategy in the post‑COVID‑19 era.

He cited continental studies projecting that full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision would increase intra‑Africa traffic by 51 percent within two to three years, while average fares could decline by 26 percent, saving travellers an estimated US$1.46 billion per year.

Mashababe added that improved connectivity could contribute up to US$4.6 billion in economic growth and create nearly 60,000 additional jobs across the continent.

The Airshow brought together government officials, regulators, airlines and regional bodies to push for faster visa openness, expanded cargo routes and improved airport readiness under SAATM, reinforcing Zimbabwe's commitment to continental aviation integration through platforms such as African air transport liberalisation.