The AFRICAN Union (AU) has taken a further step towards strengthening air cargo connectivity and supporting intra-African trade by advancing a continental strategy for air cargo services and trade routes aimed at linking aviation more effectively with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The initiative seeks to address longstanding constraints affecting African air freight, including fragmented markets, limited direct cargo connectivity and inefficient supply chains, by identifying priority routes and developing more integrated air cargo services. The AU has been working on the development of air cargo and trade routes under the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), with the objective of promoting liberalised and integrated supply chains for producers, exporters, shippers, freight forwarders and airlines. The issue was also placed on the agenda of the AU’s 5th Specialised Technical Committee on Transport and Energy in April 2026, which considered the continental strategy on air cargo services and trade routes as part of broader efforts to improve aviation infrastructure and connectivity. The development is significant because more efficient…
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