The African Union Commission adopted a quadrennial 2004 – 2007 Strategic Plan which includes a priority infrastructure development programme named “Linking Africa”. In this programme, in which the transport sector occupies a special place, the overall Vision of the African Union in the area of infrastructure has been defined as building an Africa endowed with an integrated system of transport infrastructure that is reliable, efficient and affordable, capable of promoting regional integration and ensuring the continent’s place in globalisation.

Transport is involved in the various spheres of the socio-economic life of our nations. Indeed, transport services are vital for the mobility of persons, capital and goods both to and within production units as well as towards market centres; hence the importance and urgency the African Union Commission attaches to this sector.

Transport contributes to the achievement of the wealth of Member States and, as such, is a real lever through which governments should work to boost socio-economic development thereby contributing to poverty reduction as asserted by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union meeting in Sirte in July 2005 by deciding to include within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) transport targets and indicators adopted in April 2005 by the African Ministers responsible for Transport and Infrastructure with a view to speeding up poverty reduction, a fundamental objectives of the international community.

Unfortunately, the current status of the various modes of transport both in terms of services and infrastructure is a matter of concern as illustrated in the following paragraphs.

Air Transport

Following the adoption of the Yamoussoukro Decision in November 1999, liberalisation of air transport in Africa led to the emergence of numerous airlines which, unfortunately, do not always conform to international safety standards. Aviation safety has, over the last few years, become a global concern with a burgeoning air traffic, resulting in an increase in aircraft movements, the number of passengers and the volume of airfreight.

Consequently, Africa finds itself in a most disadvantaged situation in terms of safety, as marked by the number of plane crashes and by the statistics of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Despite a better situation that was noted in 2004, Africa has recorded, on the average, plane crashes 6.6 times higher than the world average.

Awareness of the situation on the part of experts and political leaders led to several commitments and declarations by which African States affirmed that safety and security are a sine qua non for a total liberalisation of air transport at the global level and a comprehensive implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision.

The Air Transport Industry which is one of the most profitable sectors had an estimated turnover of more than US$1,800 billion and created more than 28 million direct or indirect jobs in 2005. However, Africa’s share in the global air transport industry remains insignificant. In fact, out of more than two (2) billion passengers carried in 2006 by 190 Member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Africa accounts for about only 5% of the traffic. Two- thirds of the 5% was handled by airlines that are not members of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA).

In 2004, forty two (42) members of AFRAA carried 36 million passengers, representing a 12% increase compared to 2003, while European airlines (Air France, KLM, British Airways, Alitalia, Iberia, Lufthansa, SN Brussels and Swiss Air) transported from and to Africa 72 million passengers, that is two-thirds of the total air traffic (108 million passengers). In 2004, member airlines of AFRAA transported 656.000 tons of freight representing a 12% increase compared to 2003.

According to IATA, in 2005 Africa air traffic had a growth rate higher than the world average: 11% as against 8.3% for passengers; 8% as against 3% for freight. This analysis is corroborated by Boeing forecast which predicts a continuous African Air transport growth of 4.8% for passengers and 6.4% for freight in the 2000-2019 period. Similarly, Airbus predicts a 6.3% increase in the passenger traffic for the period 2004-2013 and 3.9% for the period 2014-2033 as well as a 7% increase in freight traffic for the period 2005-2023. MORE