(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon has just joined the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the African Civil Aviation Commission (AfCAC) announced. With this decision, the country now takes part in the project seeking to liberalize and unify the African skies, and benefits from free market access and free exercise of first, second, third, fourth and fifth freedom traffic rights for scheduled and freight air services.

Eligibility criteria for African Community carriers include compliance with safety and security standards, fair competition mechanisms, dispute settlement and better consumer protection.

Cameroon becomes the 28th African State to sign its solemn commitment to join the SAATM bringing the number of participants to 44 signatories including: Benin, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, South Africa, etc.

The Single Market for Air Transport in Africa project is the result of the immediate implementation of the principles of the Yamoussoukro Decision (Côte d'Ivoire) adopted in 1999 and approved by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Lomé (Togo) in July 2000.

S.A.