- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 10/Jul 07:07

Air links in the Global South

DURING his recent visit to Trinidad and Tobago, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in addressing a joint sitting of the Parliament, stressed that progress is not possible without "empowering the Global South." Framing India as a voice of the Global South, Modi said: "We see our development as a responsibility towards others. Our priority will always be the Global South." The term Global South refers to a group of countries, not in any particular geographical order, primarily located in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, that have faced colonialism and have historically been marginalised in global power structures and economic systems. Air services among countries of the Global South in particular – Caricom, South America, Africa and India – provide connectivity that can serve as a major catalyst for social and economic co-operation. Caribbean leaders have spoken for decades about having direct air links with Africa at various forums with no success. In September 2022, during her keynote address at the launch of the first ever AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF), host Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, called for direct air links between the Caribbean and Africa saying the two regions "have business to do" and underscored the need for connecting the Caribbean and Africa through airbridges. [caption id="attachment_1165644" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Former Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, left, and Nigerian Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo sign a bilateral air services agreement between the two countries at the Piarco Airport VIP Lounge on April 14. - Photo by Paula Lindo[/caption] Mottley’s statements were consistent with those made by her earlier in 2021 during the virtual Caricom Africa Summit under the theme, Unity Across Continents and Oceans: Opportunities for Deepening Integration. At that summit, Mottley proposed that the two regions agree to weekly direct flights between Africa and Caricom, "even if it means that we may have to, initially, subsidise it." "The only thing that stops us from having a direct air links between Africa and the Caribbean is the will of those of us who continue not to recognise the importance of unlocking 1.4 billion people who have a common ancestry to be able to work with each other." During a recent visit to St Lucia, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with Prime Minister Philip J Pierre. Both leaders announced deepening co-operation across sectors between Nigeria and St Lucia. PM Pierre emphasised St Lucia’s openness to Nigerian tourists, artists and entrepreneurs, while calling for the establishment of a "direct air link" to boost connectivity. Shortly after being appointed as TT’s new Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism, Satyakama Maharaj spoke of ambitious plans to reshape TT's business landscape at a time when the country continues to face challenges with its ease of doing business. "I think one of the biggest markets we have to explore is Africa," he said. "They want to do business with us and we should be focused. West Africa is 470 million people. Republic Bank has 42 branches in Ghana and a base over there. But it takes two days to get to Ghana. But a big Airbus can go in eight hours, straight across." [caption id="attachment_1165553" align="alignnone" width="878"] -[/caption] He added, "If you cannot visit, you cannot do business. So, we have to open that market and negotiate… and we’ll have to open factories all over the place to manufacture for that market." The major issue with air links between the Caribbean and Africa and India is the low demand for such services. Airlines are in business to make profits and will only operate new routes when strategic marketing studies have determined that the route has the potential to become profitable on a sustainable basis. The large African and Indian diaspora in the Caribbean region have tremendous opportunities for business, tourism and culture on both sides of the Atlantic. The drivers of these opportunities must be the respective governments of Caricom, Africa and India, who must create the right environments for exploiting business opportunities, which include the removal of trade barriers. Air transport linkages through the rapid movement of people and goods will connect Caricom with India and Africa, enabling access to global markets, thereby facilitating economic partnerships through travel, tourism and trade. Air transportation has three key dimensions. The first one is sustainability. The travelling public must have the confidence that airlines can consistently provide the required capacity to support trade and tourism between regional and global markets. The second is affordability. The cost for the carriage of passengers and cargo must be fixed at levels that the wider travelling public and shippers can afford. Airlines generally fix passenger fares and cargo rates based on the level of demand that can realise a profitable operation. The third is building profitable route networks. Airlines develop route networks based on structured processes such as comprehensive feasibility studies. These studies identify the levels of demand for air travel and its growth.   The post Air links in the Global South appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.