The meeting of the Permanent Council of Air Transporters (CPTA) of the WAEMU opened on Thursday, September 22, 2022 in Ouagadougou. 

The opening of the proceedings was chaired by Commissioner Jonas GBIAN, in charge of the Department of Community Land Development and Transport, representing the President of the Commission Abdoulaye DIOP, in the presence of the Permanent Secretary of the CPTA, Louis YAMEOGO, and the Representative of the African Airline Association (AFRAA), Gaoussou KONATE. "The WAEMU Commission welcomes the holding of this CPTA meeting, which will address important issues related to air transport, such as air agreements, air pool agreements, and inter-company collaboration," said Commissioner GBIAN in his speech.

During the meeting, participants will analyze the air transport situation post-COVID-19. The socio-economic situation of air transport in the UEMOA region, inter-company collaboration, as well as financing possibilities by the African Development Bank (AfDB), will also be discussed.

The Commission supports the air transport sector through the adoption in 2002 of the Common Air Transport Program (PCTA), which became in 2018 the Regional Air Transport Development Program (PRDTA), whose implementation allowed for harmonization of regulations and practices in the sub-region.

The meeting, which ends on September 22, 2022, is attended by representatives of airline companies from UEMOA member states, the African Airlines Association, as well as officials from the Commission.

As a reminder, it was in an effort to fill the void left by the airline "Air Afrique" that the UEMOA Commission initiated the creation of the Permanent Council of Air Transporters in 2002. With the continuous support of the Commission, the CPTA conducts activities to address the concerns of its members, such as organizing ground handling assistance, managing freight, purchasing fuel at lower costs, and creating maintenance and training centers.