Editorial

EDITORIAL

MAKE EAST AFRICA’S SKIES AFFORDABLE

East Africa cannot claim to champion regional integration while air travel between neighbouring capitals remains beyond the reach of citizens and businesses. Fares of hundreds of dollars for short routes reveal a system burdened by excessive taxes, duplicated charges and fragmented agreements.

The proposal to create a common aviation tax regime is timely. Harmonised fees, a regional air service agreement and wider market access could lower operating expenses, encourage competition and give carriers freedom to open new routes. Cheaper flights would strengthen tourism, trade, investment and professional exchange across the Community.

Yet East Africa has no shortage of ambitious frameworks. The weakness has often been implementation. Agreements are announced, roadmaps drafted and consultations held but travellers continue paying fares that contradict the promise of free movement. Unless partner states move quickly from technical dialogue to binding action, the latest proposals risk joining a long list of unrealised commitments.

Governments must recognise that aviation is not a luxury reserved for the wealthy. It is essential infrastructure for a region seeking deeper economic links. A trader travelling from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi, a journalist travelling to Kigali for an interview, a student attending a conference in Kampala or a family visiting relatives across the border should not face fares comparable to journeys across continents.

Reducing taxes alone will not solve every problem. Airports, regulators and airlines must improve efficiency, transparency and service quality. Competition should be protected, hidden charges discouraged and consumer interests placed at the centre of reform. Regional carriers, meanwhile, must respond with reliable schedules and fair pricing rather than treating lower public charges as an opportunity to widen profit margins.

The proposed Multilateral Air Service Agreement offers a practical foundation but it requires urgency, courage and deadlines. Ministers and heads of state should not allow legal reviews and institutional procedures to become excuses for delay.

East Africa’s skies should connect its people, not divide them through unaffordable fares. A unified aviation market would bring the region closer to genuine integration. The time for another declaration has passed; what travellers need is decisive action and visible results.

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