Addis Ababa – October 31, 2025 — The African Union (AU) has announced a landmark US$30 billion continental aviation modernization initiative aimed at transforming Africa’s air transport systems and fully operationalizing the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) — one of the flagship projects of the AU’s Agenda 2063.
The plan was unveiled by Amani Abou-Zeid Mataboge, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, during a high-level forum on “Financing and Modernizing African Civil Aviation Infrastructure to Promote Integrated Continental Airspace and Enable Free Movement Under SAATM.”
A Strategic Leap for Africa’s Integration
Commissioner Mataboge emphasized that aviation is central to Africa’s economic transformation and integration, linking people, markets, and industries across borders.
“Aviation is not merely a mode of transport,” she said. “It is a strategic engine of continental integration and a core enabler of Agenda 2063 and the AfCFTA. The Single African Air Transport Market will only succeed if we build the modern, safe, and efficient infrastructure that Africa’s growth demands.”
The AU’s new investment plan aligns closely with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to boost intra-African trade and mobility. By enhancing air connectivity, the initiative aims to reduce travel costs, cut cargo delivery times, and stimulate tourism, logistics, and manufacturing sectors across member states.
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