States in the East African Community are working towards the attainment of a liberalized air transport market in January 2009. The Minister of Transport, Kenya, Hon. Ali Mwakwere, says the East African Community comprising of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, have begun to align their Bilateral Air Services Agreements to conform with the provision of the Yammoussoukro Decision. “We are confident that we shall have a liberal air transport market in East Africa by January, 2009. As a systematic step towards the achievement of a well integrated Africa-wide liberalized air transport network, regional economic blocks should be urged to facilitate and fast track intra-regional African States air transport liberalization,” states Hon. Mwakwere. He emphasizes the need for more efforts towards ensuring safer skies and sustained air transport growth in Africa through modernisation of air navigation infrastructure, improvement of safety oversight capabilities, enhancement of human resources capacity development and improvement of airports in Africa.

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