African airlines urged to merge

African airlines would be greatly improved if they merged and formed joint operations, the African Airlines Association, Afraa, has said.

Privatisation and management independence would also make service more competitive on what are regarded as some of the world's costliest flights.

"African airlines have to address their problem with size - they are too small, too fragmented, for the type of traffic they are operating" Afraa's Corporate and Industry director Tewodros Tamrat told BBC World Service's Africa Live! programme.

"My first suggestion would be for African airlines to look for alliances, strategy partners, to form joint operations."

He stressed that this would allow them to deal with many of the problems arising from their small size in comparison to major international airlines.

Contributors to Africa Live! continually reiterated the problems they had experienced with poor service, unreliable flights, and hugely costly fares.

Adjusting strategy

Mr Tamrat also said that Afraa was looking for governments to begin the process of privatisation of their airlines.

"Governments need to commercialise, and/or privatise," he said.

In a similar vein, he urged "management independence" so that airlines would be able to make decisions that would allow them to respond to increased competition.

This would in turn make them "flexible in adjusting their strategies, as and when required."

Finally, Mr Tamrat urged the immediate implementation of the Yamoussoukro decision, a continent-wide programme designed to liberalise Africa's airways.

The programme would remove restrictions on traffic rights, amongst other things, Mr Tamrat said.

It would "further assist African airlines to develop in the African continent and position themselves to compete with international