Being the fastest means of connecting people and businesses, air transport is an important tool that enhances economic development.

The benefits from air transport can only be felt if there is sufficient investment in infrastructure capacity (Airports, roads) which will enable the airline industry to provide the necessary connections to internal and world wide markets that businesses need and prosper from.

A typical example in Cameroon is hides and skin produced in the North or fruits from Penja which has to be transported by air to Douala and then exported to foreign markets.It is due to such benefits in air transport that the government of Cameroon through the CCAA and other aviation partners (ADC, ASECNA) have been investing in the local aviation sector since the beginning of civil aviation in Cameroon in the early fifties. Some investments in the sector include the construction of international airports like Douala, Nsimalen and Garoua which are the necessary logistics needed to support air transport, thereby facilitating the movement of goods, people within and out of the local economy.

The liberalisation of access to air transport market in Africa, brought about by the Yamoussoukro decision and the Open skies pioneered by America has made it possible for local air transporters like Cameroon airlines,Elysian airlines, National airways Cameroon and foreign airlines like Afriquiyah airways, slok air international, etc. to link Cameroon to the outside world,enabling local producers to expand their customer base thus exploiting economies of scale, operate efficient production techniques, transfer and absorb knowledge from abroad.

Apart from economic benefits, air transport also provides significant social benefits by facilitating communication between different parts of the world and by providing greater access to remote areas. Various studies have concluded that air transport contributes significantly to a country's economic development and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future This is why the Department of air transport and regulation, has as one of its action plan for 2008, to bring together investors, airline operators, and other stkeholders to discuss the possibility of using Bafoussam airport as a cargo hub,given the large Agricultural production for exportation based in that region.