Clarification of issues and articles of the Yamoussoukro decision

Abstract

The Decision on the Implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration concerning the Liberalisation of Access to Air Transport Markets in Africa (hereinafter the 'Decision') is a major and far reaching regulatory development in the history of African civil aviation, both in its depth and magnitude. It creates an ambitious framework for a regional regulatory regime that would liberalise the African skies, when fully implemented. Nevertheless, constructing a liberalised intra-African air transport market, of necessity, is a difficult and evolutionary process, especially so when one considers the socio-political context of Africa and the difficulties of bringing together a continent as diverse as Africa. Given that the Decision, at this stage, does nothing more than start the process of establishing a minimum set of initial rules. These rules, inevitably, will require additional refinement to make the effort of the liberalization process more complete.