Financial Crime World

Comoros Faces Challenges in Implementing Single Africa Air Transport Market

Comoros, a medium-income country located in the Indian Ocean, faces significant challenges in optimizing its implementation of the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM). A recent analysis has revealed that Comoros scored 38% on the compliance classification, which is based on less than 15 Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs). The study also noted that none of the BASAs reviewed were compliant with the provisions of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD), particularly Articles 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Key Challenges Facing Comoros

Limited Compliance with YD Provisions

  • Only 38% of BASAs reviewed were compliant with YD provisions.
  • This highlights the need for improvement in optimizing SAATM implementation.

Lack of Domestic Airlines’ IOSA Registration

  • None of the existing or future domestic airlines have attained IOSA registration, which is a requirement for SAATM implementation.

Inadequate Airport Infrastructure

  • The country’s airport infrastructure needs to be improved to support increased air traffic.

Benefits of Achieving SAATM

Achieving SAATM could bring significant benefits to Comoros. A gravity model analysis projected that the country would experience:

  • Increased Intra-Africa Passenger Traffic: 48,000 passengers
  • Fare Savings: $10.7 million
  • Consumer Surplus (a measure of welfare benefit): 59%
  • Increased Employment in Aviation Sector and Spin-off Industries: 300 jobs
  • Increase in Tourism Visits: 260
  • Increase in GDP: 0.73%

The analysis highlights the potential benefits of achieving SAATM for Comoros, including increased economic activity, employment opportunities, and tourism growth. However, to realize these benefits, the country needs to address its compliance challenges and work towards optimizing its SAATM implementation.

Recommendations for Improvement

To improve its compliance, the analysis recommends that Comoros:

  • Ensure all existing and future BASAs comply fully with YD provisions
  • Fully implement concrete measures outlined in SAATM
  • Engage with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to improve safety oversight capability
  • Encourage domestic airlines to attain IOSA registration
  • Improve airport infrastructure