Chapter 9 CIVIL AVIATION ARTICLE 9.1 OBJECTIVES 1. Member States, recognising the importance of air transport as a means of serving the national interests of the SADC Member States and the importance of promoting social and business relations amongst their nationals, shall ensure the provision of safe, reliable and efficient services in accordance with the ICAO SARPs, with a view to improving levels of service and cost-efficiency in support of the socio-economic development of the Region. 2. Member States recognise further that in order to overcome the constraints of small national markets, market restrictions and the small size of some SADC airlines and further to ensure the competitiveness of regional air services in a global context, there is a need for enhanced co-operation within the regional air transport market. ARTICLE 9.2 CIVIL AVIATION POLICY In order to attain civil aviation objectives, Member States agree to develop a harmonised regional civil aviation policy in respect of, amongst others a) the gradual liberalisation of intra-regional air transport markets for the SADC airlines; b) regionally owned airlines; c) the economic and concomitant institutional restructuring of the SADC airlines, airports and the provision of air traffic and navigation services in a phased and co-ordinated manner which shall include (i) the commercialisation of the SADC airlines, airports and the provision of air traffic and navigation services by (aa) the rationalisation of the relationship between Governments and civil aviation institutions and restructuring such institutions in respect of financing, scale and scope of operations, legal status and management; and (bb) human resource development; (ii) the development of ownership options, including the extent to which national, regional, continental and international strategic investors can be introduced to (aa) provide capital (bb) enhance and fully utilise existing management and human resources (cc) enhance technology transfers; and (dd) improve services; and (iii) the promotion and sustainment of fair competition between service providers;