By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Equatorial Guinea and the
African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) have discussed measures to deepen air
connectivity, strengthen aviation development and advance economic integration
under the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
The discussions took place
during an official mission to Equatorial Guinea by AFCAC Secretary General
AdeSewa Adeyemi, who met with Honorato Evita Oma, Minister of State for
Transport, Telecommunications and Civil Aviation of the Republic of Equatorial
Guinea.
The meeting focused on
Equatorial Guinea’s commitment to SAATM and the practical steps required to
improve connectivity and support the development of air transport across the
continent.
Key areas discussed included
aviation safety and security, air transport development and environmental
considerations. The engagement also resulted in an agreement to establish a
task force to work with the Government of Equatorial Guinea ahead of the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) air services negotiations scheduled to take
place in Malabo in December.
Adeyemi said aviation should
be viewed as more than transportation, noting that air travel can facilitate
business transactions, family reunions, tourism, access to new markets,
education and employment opportunities.
She emphasised that
passengers experience aviation policy through practical outcomes, including the
availability of routes, travel costs, ease of crossing borders and the
opportunities created by improved connectivity.
According to Adeyemi,
strengthening African aviation is therefore closely linked to improving how
Africans access one another and should remain central to the continent’s wider
integration and economic development efforts.
