Where Is the Political Will. Fifteen years after the Yamoussoukro Declaration and five years after the Yamoussoukro Decision, the issues of alliance, mergers and acquisition among African airlines have remained mere slogans echoed only within the intellectual discourse. The result of this delay is the continued decay of African aviation, while its European and American counterparts are moving in jet speed in terms of cooperation, code sharing and alliances. Meanwhile, analysis have strongly canvassed that the question of implementing the Y/D is better harnessed now than before in view of the growing wave of alliances and globalization among mega-carriers of Europe, America and Asia. Efforts by African Airlines Association (AFRAA), the umbrella body of the carriers in the continent to xxxxxx unity among their members for positive relationship have yielded no dividends as nation states have continued to show lack of political will to implement their several policy initiatives. The target date of year 2002 set for unrestricted market access for National carriers of African States could not be realized. Most of the African States, including Nigeria, appeared not prepared to relax some of the legislations that stand in the way of the realization of the desired strong aviation industry in the continent that can match the threats of globalization. There is no gainsaying that African airlines lack the ingredients to match the competitive edge of their European and American counterparts individually in the face of the high rate of fleet depletion while their aforementioned colleagues are taking deliveries of modern and sophisticated jet every now and then in replacement of old stocks. The reason for the inability of most African carriers to acquire modern machines is obvious. The operating economic environment makes accessibility to the capital required for such a venture near impossibility. Hence pooling of resources among airlines, a major process of realizing the policy, was the worst casualty of the entire process as no state or airline wanted to dare such. Observers have, however, contended that the implementation of the Yamoussoukro accord remains the only way to save the continent and its carriers from the threat of total extinction in the emerging trend of globalizations. Questions have often been asked at several aviation fora as to what has been responsible for the non implementation of these fine air transport policy despite yawning desires expressed by governments and carriers in t...
