Transport Chronicle Podcast Podcast

Africa stingy with its sky

Two years after its official launch, Mutaa, the African airline common market, fails to exceed its 24 initial signatures, which is only half of the continent's 54 countries.

Desired by the African Union, which promises two and a half million jobs, this opening to competition would allow airlines around the world to land on African soil. But for the moment, West Africa, Senegal at the head, prefers to protect its national companies. The latest launch of Air Senegal is the latest proof.

The play on words is easy, but the Wolof announcements aboard the first flights of the new Air Senegal company gave a serious blow to the wing of the “shared African sky” project! Today, African flights occupy only 3% of the total market.

Corsair asked to pack

By playing alone, preferring to protect its national market, according to Pierre Georges, an expert on African aviation, Dakar has seriously ruined the celebration of the African Union. The AU which is so attached to this opening of the sky tried to convince the government with the prospect of significant benefits: " Air Senegal was launched last October but the Senegalese government , he explains, had prepared the ground for spring. The French company Corsair paid the price since in February, she was forced to leave. Until 2018, each African country negotiated its sky in bilateral agreements, country by country ? With this Mutaa, the signatory undertakes to receive any approved company. But Senegal is not the only one to sulk about the single air market project. Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa were the first signatories. In general, the large West African countries are shying away from the project for fear of too much competition. "

It is precisely on this balance between unbridled competition and protectionism that disagreements crystallize. At the official launch in 2018 in Ethiopia, the African Union announced this shared market with the promise of job creation. Almost two million in the tourism, construction and trade sectors.

Pollution, a new engine of persuasion

What about the consumer? He would gain with cheaper tickets, a greater offer and probably better flight quality. This is the president of Air France, Anne-Marie Couderc who also oversees the budget airline Transavia who says: "I wish the enlargement of the opening of the African sky. It would allow us to save fuel thanks to better route optimization. By reducing the number of stopovers and therefore of kilometers over the continent, travelers would have the satisfaction of eco-responsible trips. "

The European Union and China in close competition

The low-cost companies of all the large foreign companies encourage this single market of the African sky. And it is China, multiplying its agreements with the East African countries that will surely speed things up. In any case, the Tunisian example shows it. After years of delay, the signing of an opening of the Tunisian sky to the European Union this time seems on track. Tunisia could copy the Moroccan model by allowing its airports to companies in the European Union. Announced for early 2020, this opening would allow all aircraft to fly to the same destinations as the Tunisian national airline, Tunisair.

Lack of pilots

This evolution of the market with a skyrocketing traffic and number of passengers will directly shake up another sector, that of the training of African airline pilots. Companies have already raised the alarm, lack of training or too low a salary, too many African pilots are going to work abroad.

► The Senegal wants to make its new airport a true "hub" African