MINISTER OF TRANSPORT REMARKS AT THE SIGNING OF THE AIR SERVICES ARRANGEMENTS (BASA) BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA AT THE INTER- CONTINENTAL HOTEL- OR TAMBO AIRPORT Your Excellency, Alpheus G !Naruseb, Minister of Works and Transport in Namibia; Namibian High Commissioner to South Africa; Acting Director General For Civil Aviation and Team, Delegation from Namibian; Airports Company South Africa Delegation; DIRCO delegation Ladies and gentlemen Relations between South Africa and Namibia dates back since Namibia’s independence in 1990 and are the product of our history, of our geographical continuity, of our economic interdependence and integration, of our culture and of our politics. 1 Our formal diplomatic relations were established soon after President Nelson Mandela became the first democratic South African President, opening what was, and remains – especially from an economic point of view – our most crucial diplomatic mission. Our bilateral relationship is strategic for both our countries from a fiscal and import / export perspective and the economic nature of our relationship is inter-dependence, which is the reason that as South Africa, we value our relations. It is South Africa’s position that Africa needs to consolidate its own air transport market and industry in order to remain relevant and the individual African members states need to support the Regional Economic Communities’ initiatives. South Africa, has since July 2006, adopted a five-year Airlift Strategy which sets out to enhance the air transport sector’s contribution to sustainable growth and development. We are about to finalise work on the revised Air Transport Strategy which will further guide and enhance the air transport sector’s contribution to sustainable growth and development. The implementation of the Airlift Strategy and soon to be finalised Air Transport Strategy supports our government’s aim to increase the volume of international air traffic capacity to and from South Africa as well as creation of capacity ahead of demand. In particular, the strategy recognizes the adoption and Implementation of the key principles of Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) continentally and the regulation of the International markets through the Bilateral Air Services systems with managed liberalization. 2 It is in this context that delegations representing the Governments of the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Namibia met on the 11th and 12th of March 2015, in Swakopmund, Namibia, with the aim to review our Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). Consensus was reached between the two delegations on the text of a suitable Agreement. The Agreement has gone through the constitutional requirements and will be signing in this gathering. Our air service arrangements are liberal with our designated airlines allowed, amongst others, to operate unlimited number of flights per week per side for passenger services, unlimited overnight express cargo with an aircraft weight that does not exceed 5700 kg and the exercise of 5th freedom traffic rights at intra-African points. The designated airlines for South Africa are South African Airways, South African Express, South African Airlink, Comair and Fly Blue Crane. The South African Airways operates 20 flights per week on the Johannesburg – Windhoek route, making it three flights a day. South African Express operates 9 flights per week on the Johannesburg – Walvis Bay route and 6 flights per week on the Cape Town – Walvis Bay route. South African Airlink operates 11 flights per week on the Cape Town – Windhoek route. Comair operates 7 flights on the Johannesburg – Windhoek route and Fly Blue Crane is not currently operating air services to Namibia. The designated airlines for Namibia are Air Namibia, Nomad Aviation and Westair Aviation. Air Namibia operates 21 flights per week on the Windhoek – Johannesburg route, 14 flights on the Windhoek – Cape Town route and 7 flights per week on the Walvis Bay – Cape Town route. 3 Nomad Aviation and Westair Aviation are not operating air services to South Africa. In conclusion, I would like to thank you, your delegation and the entire Namibian government for dedicating your time to come and personally ensure that we sign this agreement in line with the Yamoussoukro Decision under the auspices of the African Union and the African Civil Aviation Commission. Your Excellency, as South Africa we hereby states that we: a) fully support the common African position on liberalization; b) support the principle of an open market in the African region for African operators, in which the consumer of such services would receive services of high quality and reliability; c) encourage the African States to consolidate their Aviation Market and Industry in order to enhance their competiveness; and d) urge Nambia to strengthen the Regional Economic Commissions in the drive to implement the Yamoussoukro Decision and to be a signatory to the African Union Solemn Commitment to the implementation of the YD towards the establishment of a Single African Air Transport Market. I thank you 4 .