African countries are finding ways to speed up the process of deregulating and liberalizing the aviation industry at an air transport conference opened in Sun City, about 200 km north of Johannesburg, on Monday.

Some 40 ministers from African countries gathered at the four- day conference with the aim of strengthening cooperation among African airlines, improving safety and security, reducing the cost of flying and committing to the swift implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration on open sky in Africa.

The declaration, which was endorsed by African heads of state in 2000, aims to liberalize the rules that govern African skies, making it possible for African airlines to fly anywhere in the continent without applying for landing rights.

The treaty allows for flexibility in the granting of traffic rights, more routes for African airlines and the scrapping of limits on flight frequencies within the African market.

The African open-skies policy should have come into effect in December 2002, but has been slowed by a lack of political will on the part of many governments, aviation analysts said.

Travel within the continent is hampered by lack of service between many African cities, with the result that some countries are only accessible via Europe.

"This obviously dampens prospects for economic development," said Collen Msibi, a spokesman for the Transport Department.

The International Civil Aviation Organization said last year that the liberalization of the aviation industry in Africa was long overdue.

Source: Xinhua