African ministers in charge of transport and civil aviation, along with directors general of civil aviation authorities, have adopted the Kigali Communiqué on the acceleration of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
The aim is to reaffirm and mobilise political will to fast-track the initiative’s implementation, liberalise Africa’s air transport market, boost connectivity, and drive socio-economic development.
The communiqué was adopted at the closure of the 2025 Aviation Africa Summit , which was held in Kigali, Rwanda.
The communiqué sets out a nine-point action plan aimed at unlocking the potential of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) and fully implement SAATM – a flagship project under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and a strategic enabler of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
SAATM is an initiative that aims to liberalise the African aviation industry, transforming it into a single market. The leaders reaffirmed their collective commitment to it, underscoring that it is not merely a transport initiative, but a continental imperative to enhance connectivity, boost economic growth, and create jobs across Africa.
As per the communiqué, since SAATM’s launch in 2018, 38 countries have committed to it. This has resulted in 108 new intra-African routes, expanded fifth freedom traffic rights in 19 countries since 2022, and the operationalisation of a dispute settlement mechanism.
However, challenges such as incomplete regulatory domestication, market restrictions, insufficient infrastructure, and excessive taxes and charges continue to hinder progress.
Fifth freedom rights in scheduled air services allow an eligible African airline to operate flights between two other African countries as part of a service that originates or ends in its home country.
For example, with Rwanda, Kenya, and Nigeria participating in the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), national carrier RwandAir could operate a route such as Kigali–Nairobi–Lagos, with the right to pick up and drop off passengers at intermediate stops—thereby increasing connectivity, efficiency, and commercial opportunities across the continent.
ALSO READ: How high taxes, fees stifle Africa’s aviation industry
Nine actions to accelerate the initiative
The Kigali Communiqué calls for coordinated efforts from all stakeholders and outlines the following priority actions: