The Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA) has highlighted the advantages of opening up the regional aviation sector to other players, in order to take advantage of opportunities that the industry offers.

The call was made by the Director General of RCAA Dr. Richard Masozera, ahead of the Aviation Symposium set for October in Arusha, Tanzania.

The meeting whose theme will be ‘Aviation – Linking EAC and the World Safely and Efficiently’, is organised by EAC Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA).  

"On Rwanda’s part, we will be marking the EAC’s tenth anniversary, but we will also present a paper on the benefits of liberalisation of the aviation sector in the EAC,” Masozera said on phone yesterday.

He stressed that there is much to benefit from liberalizing the sector.

"Benefits of the liberalization of air transport include offering competitive prices for users, meaning that more and more of our people will be able to travel.”

"Liberalisation means better, competitive prices and it also means variety because when you liberalise, you open up space for others to participate,” Masozera said.

An EAC-CASSOA communiqué on Monday quotes Mtesigwa Maugo, the Executive Director of CASSOA, saying that the main objective of the symposium is to engage the bloc’s aviation stakeholders to examine the role of aviation in economic development and in deepening the integration process.

The RCAA chief noted that the national carrier, Rwandair, would also be represented.

In the past, The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) issued its member states with regulations governing the liberalisation of air transport within the region.

The introduction of free movement for cargo and scheduled passenger flights, with up to two daily frequencies between any city pairs.

Beyond that, bilateral air services agreements are applicable. Carriers can adopt multiple designations and no restrictions apply on capacity or type of aircraft.

The plan is in line with COMESA’s broader objectives of integrating regional transport systems and establishing a free trade area in east and southern Africa.

COMESA comprises of Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Angola, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia Zimbabwe. and Rwanda.

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