Algeria allows private operators into air cargo market

The Algerian government has opened the country's air freight sector up to local private operators, reports ch-aviation.
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Minister of Public Works and Transport Abdelghani Zaalane told a Finance and Budget Committee of the National People's Assembly during a hearing on the draft budget settlement that the move was motivated by the desire to satisfy growing demand in the export market for air freight capacity which state-owned Air Algérie has been unable to satisfy. 

The Minister said that although the legal framework governing the opening of the air cargo market has been in place since 1998, its implementation has remained frozen. 

"So lifting the moratorium on this law should be enough," he said. 

Zaalane said the law's enactment would allow private operators to either acquire or lease cargo aircraft. He added that a media day would soon be organized to inform prospective operators of the ways in which they can obtain air cargo licenses.