Cape Verde Prime Minister outlines priorities for air transport; some realistic, others not so much

Before the coronavirus pandemic - which stopped it dead in its tracks - Cape Verde, the Atlantic Ocean archipelago which is right on the operational limits for leisure airlines flying out of Europe (its main market), had witnessed impressive tourist growth, mainly generated by charter airlines.

The government is now trying to pick up the pieces by reverting to an imposition on the national airline to satisfy the demands of the country's diaspora and to kick-start tourism again. As part of the package it is rewriting the country's aviation code which, inter alia, might help define PSO routes more readily.

But there is more to it than that.

Along with most other countries Cape Verde faces an uncertain future. Will tourists return at all? If not, how can we encourage them to? They are an important feature of the economy.

The answer may lie in a better understanding of which organisation is best suited to which task - point-to-point leisure services; providing for the needs of nationals; and hubbing activities from what could be a geographically advantageous situation.

Having a respected private sector airport operator in charge might help, and finding a concessionaire is a priority too for the government.

But finding the right one might also prove not to be so easy.