CASE STUDIES FROM AFRICA

Ethiopia’s consideration of the service trade under the umbrella of WTO accession remains to be
seen, given that a services offer is yet to be submitted to conduct services negotiations in
earnest. It will be interesting to see how this process unfolds since Ethiopia has, at least at
regional level, an aggressive interest in the sector. 32
At the regional level, however, Ethiopia has been an active and aggressive participant for the
implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision 33 as well as the ones revised and delegated to
regional blocs such as COMESA. Officials at the airlines see that many African countries are
protective of the sector, and plans of previous declarations have not been duly implemented by
signatories. In fact, the officials are keen to see not just regional liberalisation measures but
liberalisation at the continental level. In addition, they would like to see deeper liberalisation
initiatives, including:
Yamoussoukro implementation, in that full ownership of airlines is allowed
An African Aviation Policy on regulation, competition, and price that can supersede
legislation at the national level, such as the EU has
An effort to integrate Africa through aviation. 34
But the divisions amongst African countries, such as North Africa vs. Sub-Saharan, East vs.
West, and Anglophone vs. Francophone, have become a challenge for integration, according to
the officials. Countries also favour their own flag carriers, impeding liberalisation. 35
Defining Air Transport Services
WTO Definition (W/120 and UN CPC)
The WTO defines air transport services as activities that directly involve transporting people
and goods by air. 36 This sector includes airports, airlines, navigation service providers,
passenger services providers, air freight services providers, and manufacturers and
maintenance staff of aircraft and aircraft systems.
The air transport services sector is an area of the global economy in which Ethiopia enjoys some
notable comparative advantages. The air transport industry in Ethiopia is largely dominated by
EAL, which was founded in 1945. As of June 2015, the carrier serves 91 international
32
Interview with Mr. Henok Teferra, VP of Communications and Strategies of EAL.
33
The Yamoussoukro Decision is named after the Ivorian city in which it was agreed. It commits its 44 signatory
countries to deregulate air services and promote regional air markets open to transnational competition. Historically,
the Decision followed up on the Yamoussoukro Declaration of 1988, in which many of the same countries agreed to
principles of air services liberalisation. In 2000, the Decision was endorsed by heads of states and governments at
the Organisation of African Unity, and became fully binding in 2002 in pursuing its original intention of liberalising
air service among member states.
34
Interview with Mr. Henok Teferra.
35
Ibid.
36
Air Transport and the GATS Documentation for the Second Air Transport Review under the General Agreement
on Trade in Services (GATS), World Trade Organization, 2007.
30