AM EDITORIAL: As Africa’s Air Transport Stakeholders Assemble Again To Drive More SAATM Benefits
Ministers in charge of air transport, African Directors General of Civil Aviation, CEOs of leading airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, international and regional aviation organizations, global development partners and institutions as well as manufacturers and technology providers will from today, June 15, 2026 to June 19th, assemble at Hotel 2 Fevrier, Lome, Togo for the African Air Transport Convention & Expo 2026.
Although, such fora have been held in the past under the pilot of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) to drive implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) aimed at eliminating barriers and improving air connectivity across Africa, this event is unique because according to AFCAC Secretary General, Ms. Adefunke Adeyemi, deliberations will focus on market accessibility for African airlines, connectivity, sustainability, capacity, fares affordability, among other issues.
Africa’s aviation future is expected to be shaped, considering the aptness of the convention coming at a time when the global oil crisis is threatening the survival of many airlines, creating a desperate need for rescue efforts through policy and amplifying the necessity of enhanced air connectivity across the continent through collaborations and partnerships of regional governments, airlines and other players in the sector.
Already, there have been evidential benefits of talks and efforts to implement SAATM. Driven by the initiative, intra-African air connectivity has grown to 23%, with direct routes more than doubling from 59 to 124 in recent years. Within three years, 124 new routes were opened in Africa, 22 of which are being operated under fifth freedom rights, which is helping the airlines build more traffic. As at March 2026, 113 million passengers had been carried on the 124 new routes within a period of three years.
The African Air Transport Convention & Expo 2026 is expected influence policy decisions, birth partnerships and translate long-term visions into business opportunities, while engineering consolidation of the achievements recorded so far through SAATM. AM.
