{UAH} WBK/Pojim: Comment-One region, multiple skies: Where are the air space deals we need?

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/One-region-multiple-skies-Where-are-the-air-space-deals-we-need/-/434750/2742432/-/qxol7dz/-/index.html

One region, multiple skies: Where are the air space deals we need?

Last month important discussions concerning transport in Africa took place — one in Dubai, another in Arusha.

First in Dubai, the chiefs of African airlines met to discuss the problems of their industry. As you may correctly guess, they lamented the fact that there is no single open airspace agreement between any two African countries, and yet several such agreements have been signed between African countries and others outside the continent.

If you look at world air route maps that use thin lines to show the flights between different destinations on the globe, you need a magnifying glass to see the ones between African airports. Africa is the least flown zone on earth.

To their credit, the aviation managers on the continent are aware of the problems and needs of the industry, as we could see from their Dubai lamentations. The question is who then, is responsible for the bad policies, or failure to implement the policies that would increase flights around Africa? It is two decades since an agreement was signed requiring our countries to open their skies to one another.

But even in East Africa where we claim to be economically integrated, flying the shorter distance between Nairobi and Entebbe is many times more expensive that flying the longer one from Kisumu to Mombasa, because the two journeys are strictly in different air spaces of the same so-called economic bloc. Then there was some kerfuffle between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi that led to a drastic reduction of flights between the two when we should be seeking to increase them.

Those of us who had believed the East African leaders when they kept telling us that East Africans are one people, with a common destiny, who must share their combined market, would have expected from them better policies that make it easier to travel in the region long ago. Can you blame us for having believed our leaders? Aren't leaders supposed to be believed?

When people are mandated to go and make good policies in Arusha for the advancement of East African integration, what are the priority subjects that they should discuss?

That brings us to the second transport-related meeting — the one that took place in Arusha. The East African Legislative Assembly MPs legislators demanded $50,000 per member to buy a good car. This in itself is encouraging because it shows the EA legislators are aware of the need for people to travel well. It makes me optimistic that they will also remember to sort out the aviation restrictions within the East African region after getting their $50,000 cars.

In fact, if the EA legislators recall, a recent audit that cast the regional body in a dubious light questioned the EAC's annual millions of dollars; expenditure on air tickets.

They may be aware that more than half of the cost of an air ticket in the region is payment for restrictions, not the actual service of being transported between capitals.

Already all the EAC countries, with the possible exception of Rwanda, have failed to run their so-called national carriers. Even the ones we thought knew how to do it are failing, making those who killed their flag-carriers earlier appear to have been smarter.

Can someone revive the East African Airways, mandated to operate as the regional carrier? Or is there a cleverer alternative?

Joachim Buwembo is a Knight International Fellow for development journalism. E-mail: buwembo@gmail.com

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