Mesfin Tasew Bekele, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, highlighted the need for African governments to advance visa liberalisation in tandem with aviation connectivity to strengthen economic integration. Mesfin emphasised that coordinated progress on air transport and border policies is essential to enable seamless travel across the continent. He called for the full implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) as a key step toward facilitating mobility for passengers and goods. The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), launched in 2018 under the African Union’s Agenda 2063, aims to liberalise and unify air transport across Africa by removing restrictive bilateral agreements and allowing airlines from member states to operate freely across borders. Findings from the Africa Visa Openness Index show that more than half of intra-African travel still requires visas obtained before departure, a factor identified as limiting regional commerce.

Source: Ethiopian News February 27, 2026 20:40 UTC