'AfCFTA would be futile if airspace and landing are not free across Africa' – Prof. Kofi Abotsi

Professor Kofi Abotsi, the Dean of Law School at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), has opined that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would be inefficient and an illusion if airspace and landing are not made free across Africa.

In a tweet published on his official X page, Professor Abotsi reiterated the exorbitant rates of air travel in Ghana and its negative impact on businesses. He attributed the high cost of air travel in Africa to protectionism, taxes, and fuel costs.

According to him, the current state of air travel in Africa would inhibit business travel across Africa. He called for free airspace and landing to be incorporated into AfCFTA.

“Air travel is senselessly expensive and difficult in Africa. And apparently, protectionism, taxes & fuel costs are driving that. The AfCFTA would be a mirage without a free airspace and landing across the continent,” Prof Abotsi’s tweet on the microblogging platform, X formerly known as Twitter read.

AfCFTA is a free trade area encompassing most of Africa. It was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which has 43 parties and another 11 signatories, making it the largest free-trade area by several member states, after the World Trade Organization, and the largest in population and geographic size, spanning 1.3 billion people across the world's second-largest continent.

The agreement founding AfCFTA was brokered by the African Union (AU) and signed by 44 of its 55 member states in Kigali, Rwanda on 21 March 2018.

Air travel is senselessly expensive and difficult in Africa. And apparently protectionism, taxes & fuel cost is driving that. The AfCFTA would be mirage without a free airspace and landing across the continent.

— Prof. E. Kofi Abotsi (@ProfAbotsi) March 7, 2024