IBPS PO Mains 12 Oct 2025 Shift 1 Paper

Question Numbers: 101-110Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.The structural fragmentation of African aviation infrastructure remains an enduring testament to uneven globalisation, where the skies of the continent are tethered to protectionist legacies and prohibitive fiscal frameworks. A comparative mapping of regional transit networks reveals a stark dissonance: a commuter routing from Lagos to Yaoundé often incurs a fiscal premium and temporal expenditure that dwarfs a transcontinental voyage from Frankfurt to Berlin. This disparity is not merely a product of geographical scale but is rooted in the sluggish implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)—an ambitious initiative by the African Union aimed at deregulation. While the Yamoussoukro Decision theoretically mandated the liberalisation of scheduled and non-scheduled intra-African air transport services, national flag carriers continue to operate behind a defensive bulwark of bilateral air service agreements (BASAs). These protectionist constructs artificially suppress competition, leaving population accessibility index scores languishing at historic lows across Sub-Saharan hubs.Compounding this internal insularity is the shadow of international regulatory scrutiny. Several Central and West African carriers remain __________ blacklisted by the European Union Air Safety Committee due to systemic deficits in civil aviation oversight authorities, rather than isolated mechanical failures. This regulatory ban creates an asymmetric market paradigm where foreign mega-carriers dominate profitable intercontinental routes, repatriating capital while domestic airlines are relegated to fragmented, low-yield domestic loops. Furthermore, jet fuel (Jet A-1) logistics within landlocked African nations carry an exorbitant logistical premium, sometimes costing up to 80% more than the global benchmark due to deficient rail links and arbitrary port tariffs. Consequently, the average ticket price per kilometer in Africa remains the highest globally, effectively pricing out the nascent middle class that the African Union relies upon to drive post-pandemic trade integration.