The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority successfully hosted the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) Airshow at the Lagoonda Conference Center in Freetown on July 29th-30th, 2024.
Leveraging Sierra Leone’s strategic role within the Banjul Accord Group (BAG) of States, this airshow followed the recent event in Banjul, The Gambia, aiming to foster high-level engagement with Sierra Leone’s state agencies for Transport, Tourism, Trade, and Finance, as well as the National Implementation Committee (NIC) and SAATM Focal Points.
The SAATM Airshow spotlighted the benefits of the Key Performance Indicator Tool, crucial for monitoring and evaluating YD/SAATM Implementation among the seven member states. The event featured advocacy meetings with stakeholders, including Airports, Airlines, ANSP, Immigration, Customs, Revenue Authorities, Ground Handling Companies, Tourism Boards, and ECOWAS. These discussions aimed to ensure significant improvements in SAATM Implementation concerning infrastructure, visa openness, trade facilitation, technology, digitalization, and the removal of other non-physical barriers.
The airshow created an enabling environment for the Director General of Civil Aviation and key stakeholders from the Banjul Accord Group of States to participate, focusing on increasing air connectivity and promoting new 5th Freedom traffic penetration. Additionally, the event provided operational and technical assistance to the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority to enhance safety, security, environmental protection, air transport, and other civil aviation areas, optimizing SAATM Implementation.
Key focal points of the airshow included:
A. Removal of Impediments:
1. Non-Harmonization of Application Costs (Foreign Ops Specs)
2. Non/Late Approval of Carrier Designations
3. High Inspection Costs, Taxes, Charges, and Fees
4. Passenger and Cargo Facilitation Issues
5. Other Non-Physical Barriers
B. Engagement with Airlines and Airports:
1. Promoting Partnerships
2. Commercial Collaboration (Interlining/Codeshare)
3. Technical Cooperation (Spares, Tools, Personnel)
4. Tourism
5. Intra-Africa Trade/Cargo Routes Development Amongst African Airlines
This historic event climaxed with a signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by AFCAC and the SLCAA “regarding the Audit Programme to SAATM member states for tracking and monitoring the full implementation of YD/SAATM”.
There was also a joint Communique signed by our Honourable Minister of Transport and Aviation; Ambassador Alhaji Fanday Turay, the Head of the BAG Secretariat and Director General of The Gambia CAA, Mr. Fansu Bojang and the Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AfCAC), Adefunke Adeyemi with commitment “to fast track the full implementation of the Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) signed by member States in 2004 and to promote the harmonization of air transport policies and procedures thereby fostering the sustainable development of international civil aviation”
The SAATM Airshow in Sierra Leone marked a significant step towards optimizing air transport connectivity and collaboration within Africa, setting a strong foundation for future advancements in the aviation sector. The Secretary-General and team were encouraged to take to Dakar the collective achievement in this Airshow, ranging from our Government commitment to all SAATM concrete measures, but most especially harmonization or domestication of YD/SAATM Compliant regulations, and granting of 5th Freedom to all African Airlines who so apply to the SLCAA with a commitment to fair competition.
