air travel in african countries

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Air travel in Africa: Costly flights hold the continent back

Flying within Africa is more expensive than just about anywhere else in the world. Travellers pay higher ticket prices and more tax.

It is often cheaper to fly to another continent than to another African country.

For a quick comparison, flying from the German capital, Berlin, to Turkey's biggest city, Istanbul, will probably set you back around $150 (£120) for a direct flight taking less than three hours.

But flying a similar distance, say between Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos, you will be paying anything between $500 and $850, with at least one change, taking up to 20 hours.

This makes doing business within Africa incredibly difficult, and expensive - and it is not just elite travellers that are affected.

• LISTEN: Business Daily: Why are African flights so expensive?

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) - the global trade body representing some 300 airlines which make up about 83% of world air traffic - argues that if just 12 key countries in Africa worked together to improve connectivity and opened up their markets, it would create 155,000 jobs and boost those countries' Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by more than $1.3bn.

"Aviation contributes directly to the GDP in every country. It generates work and it activates the economy," says Kamil al-Awadhi, IATA's regional vice-president for Africa and the Middle East.

Adefolake Adeyeye, an assistant professor of commercial law at the UK's Durham University, agrees that Africa as a whole is missing out because of its poor air service.

"It's been shown that air transport does boost the economy. As we've seen in other continents, budget airlines can improve connectivity and cost, which boosts tourism, which then creates many more jobs," she says.

The poor quality of road networks and lack of railways in many African countries often makes air transport the practical choice for cargo too.

The climate emergency, which has severely impacted Africa, means everyone needs to be more careful about their carbon footprint and should aim to fly a lot less.

But even though around 18% of the world's population lives in Africa, it accounts for less than 2% of global air travel and, according to the UN's Environment Programme, just 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is in contrast to 19% from the US and 23% from China.

Africa may be rich in minerals and natural resources, but of the 46 nations on the UN's Least Developed Countries list, 33 are on the continent, and poverty continues to be the biggest daily threat for millions of people on the continent.

But there is also a growing middle-class who could potentially travel by air if the tickets were priced at similar levels to Europe or elsewhere.

African states have been trying for decades to integrate the aviation sector, but they haven't been successful, yet.

"There needs to be a coherent strategy by Africa to address the issue of its poor air service if they want to transform Africa's economies," says Zemedeneh Negatu, the global chairman of US-based investment firm Fairfax Africa Fund.

He says that flights within Africa are still structured around cumbersome bilateral agreements from one country to the next, and that most flag-carrying state airlines in Africa barely cover their costs, while some even run at a loss.

"Every government in Africa wants to see their flag on the tail of an aircraft at Heathrow or JFK airport, but African governments need to realise that stand alone carriers are not viable."

Mr Zemedeneh argues that African airlines should take inspiration from Europe and form major partnerships, such as between flag-carriers Air France and KLM of The Netherlands, and the Anglo-Spanish International Airlines Group (IAG) formed between British Airways and Iberia.

He says even in the rich market of Europe, conglomeration is the way forward for airliners to survive, and provide a cheaper more reliable service.

The current system in Africa is very fragmented, and although 35 countries are signed up to the Single African Air Transport Market, an African Union (AU) initiative to free up the skies to African airlines and bring down costs, it could be years before it's implemented.

IATA's Mr Awadhi says governments are reluctant to work together.

"There is a hard-headedness where each state thinks they know how to handle it better and will stick to their remedies even when they are not very effective," he says.

"In the end it's a business and there is a level of protectionism that starts to hurt the aviation industry. Then there is no benefit to having your own national carrier."

There is one notable exception in Africa of an airline that is absolutely thriving, and that could provide a blueprint for others to copy - Ethiopian Airlines.

Just over 15 years ago the company employed about 4,000 people. Now that figure is over 17,000.

It is state-owned but run entirely as a commercial venture without government interference.

It has more than doubled the size of its fleet of cargo and passenger planes and has made Addis Ababa a regional hub, driving foreign currency into the Ethiopian capital, and boosting the country's service industry.

At the turn of the millennium Ethiopia was one of the poorest countries in the world, now it's one of the fastest growing economies.

Mr Zemedeneh, an Ethiopian-American who played a key role as an adviser to Ethiopian Airlines as it developed its strategy, says Ethiopian Airlines has played a part in that boom.

"Ethiopian Airlines generates millions of dollars in hard currency for the country, and it makes every Ethiopian proud that they have been able to create one of the most successful indigenous African-owned, African-operated, multinational companies," he adds.

African travellers will be hoping these kinds of commercial successes will ultimately impact their airfares, bringing them down more in line with Europe or Asia - and that they can finally get to where they want to go more quickly and cheaply.

One woman, 30 African countries, five lessons

Waiting for take-off in west africa.

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A Country-by-Country Guide to Africa's National Airlines

If you're planning a trip to Africa it's likely that you'll visit more than one place, whether it's two locations in the same country or a cross-border tour of several different nations. If this is the case, you'll need to decide how you want to travel from one stop to the next.

The Benefits of Flying

Often, the distances between your chosen destinations are vast; for example, it's 1,015 miles/1,635 kilometers from Cape Town to Durban in South Africa. As a result, driving can take up too much of your precious vacation time. In many African countries, the roads are poorly maintained, making overland journeys even more arduous. In some places, corrupt traffic officers, livestock on the road and high accident rates add to the stress of traveling by car —making domestic flights an attractive alternative.

Why Fly With the National Airline?

Budget and private airlines come and go quickly in Africa, whereas the national airline is usually more stable. To avoid the inconvenience of your chosen airline going bust before your flight, try to book with the national carrier where possible. Internationally, African airlines have a poor reputation for safety, but many national carriers (like South African Airways and Ethiopian Airlines) are indistinguishable from first-world airlines in terms of service. In this article, we list the national airline for each African country.

Countries without an official airline are not listed, however, private carriers may be available. Routes are subject to change and should be checked carefully before booking. 

• ​ Air Algérie  is the national airline of Algeria. It flies to 32 domestic airports and also offers flights to 43 international destinations. 
• TAAG is the official airline of Angola. It offers 13 domestic routes as well as flights to cities throughout Africa, Europe, and Latin America. 
• ​ Air Botswana is the flag carrier of Botswana . It offers four domestic routes (to Francistown, Gaborone, Kasane, and Maun), as well as flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa.

Burkina Faso

• Air Burkina is Burkina Faso's national airline. It offers one domestic route (between the capital, Ouagadougou, and Bobo-Dioulasso), as well as routes to seven other West African nations. 
• TACV Cabo Verde Airlines is the national airline of Cape Verde. It flies to two domestic destinations and also offers routes to Boston and selected cities in Brazil and Europe.
• Camair-Co is the flag carrier for Cameroon, flying to several destinations in Central and West Africa as well as to Paris, France.
• Tchadia Airlines is the latest flag carrier for Chad, established in 2018. It runs scheduled flights to five Chadian destinations as well as a handful of other African cities including Niamey, Kano and Khartoum.

Cote d'Ivoire 

• Air Côte d'Ivoire  is the national carrier for the Ivory Coast. It offers flights between six domestic destinations, as well as several international ones throughout Central and West Africa. It also operates a service to New York City in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Congo Airways  is the official airline of the DRC, with flights to eight domestic destinations. 
• Air Djibouti  is the flag carrier for Djibouti and is sometimes known as the Red Sea Airline. It offers connections to Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Middle East. 
• EgyptAir is the country's national airline and one of the biggest carriers on the continent. It offers flights to more than 80 destinations throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East, including several domestic routes. 
• Eritrean Airlines is the national carrier for Eritrea and offers connections from Asmara to Khartoum, Cairo, Jeddah, Dubai, and Milan. 
• Eswatini Airlink is the national carrier for Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). It offers connections to destinations throughout Southern and East Africa, thanks to alliances with South African Airways, South African Express, and South African Airlink. 
• Ethiopian Airlines  has one of the most extensive networks in Africa, offering services to over 120 domestic and international destinations. The latter includes cities in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. 
• Kenya Airways  is the country's national airline and another major carrier in Africa. As well as numerous destinations in Asia and Europe, the airline serves 43 destinations across the continent.
• Libyan Airlines  is Libya's flag carrier, offering flights to more than 20 domestic and international destinations. 
• Air Madagascar is the national airline of Madagascar. It flies to five domestic destinations from Antananarivo. It also connects passengers to the Comoros, Reunion, Mauritius, Kenya and South Africa as well as destinations in France, Thailand and China. 
• Malawian Airlines offers domestic flights between Lilongwe and Blantyre, as well as services to major Southern and East African cities like Johannesburg, Dar-es-Salaam, and Nairobi. 
• Mauritania Airlines is the flag carrier for Mauritania. It serves 11 destinations across West and North Africa as well as Las Palmas in the Spanish Canary Islands.
• Air Mauritius  has an extensive domestic and international network with flights to many destinations in Europe, Asia, and Australia. 
• Royal Air Moroc  is the national airline of Morocco. Sometimes referred to as RAM, is it another major African carrier, serving over 80 destinations in Africa, Europe, America and the Middle East. 
• LAM  is Mozambique's national airline, with 10 domestic destinations and flights to four major Southern African cities including Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Harare, and Nairobi. 
• Air Namibia  flies to six Namibian destinations, and to 11 in Africa. It also offers a regular non-stop service to Frankfurt, Germany. 
• RwandAir  serves multiple destinations within Rwanda and throughout the rest of Africa. It also offers direct flights to several cities in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

São Tomé & Príncipe

• STP Airways  is the flag carrier of this West African archipelago. It connects São Tomé island with Príncipe island and also operates a regular service to Lisbon, Portugal. 
• Air Senegal is the country's latest flag carrier, created in 2016. It offers flights between Dakar and Ziguinchor in Senegal, as well as to several other West African cities. Plans are underway for services to Paris and São Paulo.
• Air Seychelles  is the national airline of Seychelles. Through its partnership with Etihad Airways, it offers flights to 62 destinations across the world. 

South Africa

• South African Airways  is the flag carrier for South Africa and one of the largest airlines on the continent. It connects 14 South African destinations, 18 African destinations and nine international destinations – including London, Perth and Washington, D.C. 
• Sudan Airways  flies from Khartoum to four destinations in Sudan. It also serves eight other cities in Africa and the Middle East, including Cairo, Addis Ababa, and Jeddah. 
• Air Tanzania  offers flights to 20 destinations including domestic cities like Arusha, Kigoma, and Dar-es-Salaam; and international cities like Johannesburg, Mumbai and Guangzhou.
• Tunisair  is the national airline of Tunisia. It offers services to destinations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as a single flight to North America (Montréal).
• Air Zimbabwe  flies between three key Zimbabwean destinations: Harare, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls. It also connects to Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam. 

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10 Best Airlines in Africa in 2024 (Ranked from Best)

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Home » 10 Best Airlines in Africa in 2024 (Ranked from Best)

Have you been wondering about the top airlines in Africa? I’ve got you covered!

Exploring the African continent by air is an incredibly exciting and rewarding experience, but if you’re looking for budget flight options that won’t sacrifice safety, it can be a bit of a challenge.

That’s why here at Wanderlust Storytellers, as experienced travelers who have been fortunate to have flown to many destinations across the world, we have come up with a selection of our top 10 airlines in Africa to make your journey both safe and affordable.

Based on our firsthand experiences , we have decided to create this blog post to  share our insights and help you make an informed choice  when selecting the best airlines of Africa.

So if you’re looking for the safest and most cost-effective flights across Africa, look no further than our best African airlines list!

Keep reading to find out more about our picks for the 10 best airlines in Africa.

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Quick Guide: Best Airlines to Fly to Africa

After a quick list of the top airlines to fly to Africa? Here are the best carriers:

Ethiopian Airlines

• Economy and Business Class fares
• Low-cost full service airline
• Flies to South Africa, Mauritius, Egypt and many more places in Africa

Royal Air Maroc

• Flies to Mali, Tunusia, Egypt and more places in Africa
• Full services airlines
• Economy & Business class

South African Airways

• Full service airline
• Flies to Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles and more locations in Africa

10 Best Airlines to Fly to Africa

In this list, we’ll take a look at ten of the best airlines to fly to Africa and give you a rundown of their pros and cons so you can pick the book flights that fit your travel needs

1. Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines is the main flag carrier of Ethiopia and the best airline in Africa, according to Skytrax World Airline Awards.

This award-winning airline has been awarded the following awards:

• Best Airline in Africa for Six Years in a Row
• Best Business Class in Africa for Four Years in a Row
• Best Economy Class in Africa for Four Years in a Row
• Best Business Class Onboard Catering in Africa

What to Expect When You Fly with Ethiopian Airlines?

Ethiopian Airlines ‘ main hub is based in Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Airlines offers passengers a comfortable and stress-free journey with quality services at an affordable rate .

Business and Economy classes are both available.

Passengers of Business Class and Cloud Nine Class can enjoy access to priority services for check-in, security, and boarding , allowing them to skip long queues .

Reclining seats are provided for Economy Class passengers, while Business Class passengers get access to flat lie beds and convertible seats .

A varied menu is served on board, featuring regional delicacies of Africa as well as popular dishes familiar to international travelers.

WiFi is also available for use on board to chat with friends on social media or do some light browsing.

Destinations Ethiopian Airways Flies To In Africa:

Ethiopian Airlines flies to domestic locations within Ethiopia as well as the following destinations in Africa:

• South Africa
• Egypt and many more!

Ethiopian Airways Loyalty Program:

Join ShebaMiles loyalty program for exclusive benefits when flying with Ethiopian Airlines.

Earn miles on everyday activities, not just flying, and use the miles earned for flights, upgrades, and more.

Negatives of Choosing Ethiopian Airways:

However, there are some downsides to Ethiopian Airlines .

• It charges $10-30 for the privilege of choosing your seat in advance which is something that other airlines include in the basic price of their tickets.

Whether traveling for business or pleasure, Ethiopian Airlines offers a fast, reliable, and affordable way to explore the world with an engaging voice.

2. Royal Air Maroc

Royal Air Maroc is one of the finest airlines in Africa, proudly announcing that it was awarded 7th place for the Best Regional Airline in Africa at the World Airline Awards 2023.

What to Expect When You Fly with Royal Air Maroc?

Royal Air Maroc offers full-service flights both domestically and internationally.

Each flight gives you a delightful journey with its warm hospitality and exquisite services .

On short-haul flights (1.5 – 2.75 hours), Royal Air Maroc provides cold sandwiches and snacks . Medium-haul flights offer three hot dish options (including a v egetarian choice ), dessert , and a starter based on flight duration. Some African routes feature a dish of African origin.

Depending on the flight number, passenger class, and loyalty status, the baggage allowance can range from 1 to 3 bags each weighing 23kg each. For extra in-flight entertainment , stream or browse the Sky-RAM entertainment system ! Just switch to airplane mode, and download the Sky-RAM Player app from the App Store or Google Play in advance.

Destinations Royal Air Maroc Flies To In Africa:

Royal Air Maroc flies to the following destinations in Africa:

• Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoir
• Accra, Ghana
• Alger, Alegria
• Cairo, Egypt
• Tunis, Tunisia
• Bamako, Mali
• Dubai, and many more!

Royal Air Maroc Loyalty Program:

Royal Air Maroc also offers Safar Flyer , its loyalty program that rewards all its travelers with several rewards and benefits.

Negatives of Choosing Royal Air Maroc:

Before making any decisions about booking with Royal Air Maroc, there are some negatives worth considering such as additional fees that may add up, so make sure to double-check prior to purchase!

With Economy and Business Class available, each passenger can find the right fit for their budget and needs.

3. South African Airways

South African Airways is an award-winning airline.

Recently awarded the Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa for the third consecutive year at the Skytrax World Airline Awards in 2023.

What to Expect When You Fly with South African Airways?

South African Airways is also a member of the Star Alliance.

South African Airways offers two cabin classes, Business Class , and Economy Class , both with comfort, convenience, and style.

What’s more impressive is that they offer low rates even on domestic flights compared to some other airlines of Africa, making it easy to get around South Africa without breaking the bank. On board the South African Airways plane you can expect delicious meals made using local products .

Depending on the length of your flight, you will be served a light snack or a multi-course meal for long haul flights.

All snacks, meals, and beverages are complimentary and are included in the ticket price so you don’t have to worry about bringing something on board either! Economy Class flyers can bring 1 bag up to 23kg whereas Business Class flyers can take 2 bags not exceeding 32kg per piece . That means you can bring all that you need without any worries! South African Airways also boasts great inflight entertainment with high-tech touchscreens fitted into both Economy and Business Class sections offering 15-inch screens in Business Class and 10-inch screens in Economy Class.

Experience a great selection of movies updated regularly, you won’t miss home even after a long journey!

Destinations South African Airways Flies To In Africa:

South African Airways flies to many countries in Africa including:

• Malawi and more!

South African Airways Loyalty Program:

If you are a frequent flyer, SAA Voyager is the airline’s loyalty program that rewards frequent flyers equitably through the accrual and redemption of miles.

These miles can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other rewards.

Moreover, SAA Voyager offers five tiers – Blue, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Lifetime Platinum – each one providing exclusive benefits.

Negatives of Choosing South African Airways:

Flying with South African Airways can be a frustrating experience.

• Long waits in the airport and unpredictable delays are common.
• Customer service is hit or miss – sometimes helpful and friendly, but often impersonal and unresponsive.
• Seating comfort is also lacking when compared to other airlines, making long flights especially uncomfortable.
• Finally, despite priding itself on affordability, many other carriers offer more competitive fares for the same routes.

Choosing South African Airways to fly within Africa is a good choice when flying from South Africa.

4. Kenya Airways

Kenya Airways is an award-winning airline, located in sub-Saharan Africa, that has been awarded:

• Africa’sLeading Airline in 2022
• Africa’s Leading Business Class Airline in 2022
• Africa’s Leading Airline Brand in 2022

What to Expect When You Fly with Kenyan Airways?

Kenya Airways is a well-known and respected airline offering flights to many popular destinations in Africa and across the world.

It is also a popular choice and go to low-cost airline for travelers.

With its friendly staff , affordable prices, and reliable service , Kenya Airways offers a hassle-free experience for any journey across the globe.

The airline offers various seating options for its passengers, ranging from standard Economy Class , Economy Comfort to Business Class seats.

Comfort Economy helps passengers enjoy extra legroom , while Economy Max is offered at the front of the plane .

Baggage allowance varies between 2 pieces each not exceeding 32kg or 1 piece each not exceeding 23kg.

Additionally, Kenya Airways provides a variety of food options tailored to religious, diet & medical needs (included in the ticket price).

Passengers can choose from over 30 documentaries, 80 movies, 1,000 music tracks, and 55 television programs when they download the latest KQ Cinema App from Google Play or the App Store before takeoff.

Destinations Kenyan Airways Flies To In Africa:

Kenyan Airways flies to the following destinations in Africa:

• Seychelles and more!

Kenyan Airways Loyalty Program:

Passengers can also take advantage of Kenya Airways’ loyalty program – Asante Rewards .

Members can earn points to redeem for rewards and exclusive benefits. Plus, enjoy discounts on services like lounge access, seat selection, and upgrades based on destination and ticket class.

Negatives of Choosing Kenyan Airways:

Some negatives include that the exntinsive inflight entertainment KQ Cinema App is only available on select Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircrafts.

Howevever, depsite this flying with Kenyan Airway is still a good choice when flying in Africa.

5. Air Mauritius

Air Mauritius is the national carrier of Mauritius and a renowned full-service airline .

As evidenced by its 2021 accolade as the “Best Airline in Africa” from the World Airline Awards, Air Mauritius is committed to getting passengers to their destination safely and comfortably.

What to Expect When You Fly with Air Mauritius?

Air Mauritius is the national carrier of the Republic of Mauritius and operates both Business and Economy classes .

On board their Airbus A350-900 XWB and A330-900neo aircraft, there are individual screens and headsets available in both the Business and Economy Classes .

The interactive AVOD ( Audio & Video on Demand ) system allows you to pick the movie of your choice , at your leisure.

As far as baggage allowance goes, the maximum weight for any piece of checked baggage is 32 kg and the dimensions should not exceed 158 cm.

As a general rule, no beef, veal or pork or any products derived from these will be served on Air Mauritius flights as well as no alcohol in the food.

Depending on flight duration and time, passengers may be served lunch or dinner besides hot breakfast and other meal types on some routes.

Selecting your seat for extra legroom or window seat in advance is possible but it comes for an additional fee and this service is only applicable to Economy Class passengers.

WiFi is also available onboard all flights operated by Air Mauritius.

Destinations Air Mauritius Flies To In Africa:

Air Maurtitius flies to the following destinations in Africa:

Air Maurtitius Loyalty Program:

Their loyalty scheme, Kestrel Flyer , rewards flyers with miles and points every time they fly.

Another advantge is that members can carry more checked baggage as a membership benefit!

Negatives of Choosing Singapore Airways:

On the downside, however, their baggage allowance and fees change depending on the destination so make sure to check their policies before flying with them.

6. RwandAir

RwandAir is one of the fastest-growing airlines in Africa, dedicated to serving its travelers with quality, low-cost flights.

It has also been recognized as one of the safest airlines in Africa.

What to Expect When You Fly with RwandAir?

RwandAir is a great option for those looking for affordable air travel.

RwandAir offers Economy, Premium Economy , and Business Class seating options to ensure that each passenger will find a perfect fit for their individual needs.

Economy and Premium Economy Class allow two bags of 23kg each whereas Business Class offers respective travelers three bags of 23Kgs .

Passengers will enjoy certified Halal meals prepared on board, adhering to Islamic Dietary Law and Malaysia Halal Standards. Vegetarian options are also available upon request .

Business Class seats feature exceptional privacy and comfort , especially on long-haul flights where you can recline your seat to sleep and enjoy the massage.

Onboard entertainment includes touch screens with games , a variety of movies , and TV shows available to keep you entertained on board!

Destinations RwandAir Flies To In Africa:

RwandAir flies to the following destinations in Africa:

• Zambia and more!

RwandAir Loyalty Program:

Its loyalty program Dream Miles is one of the best around, with several tiers ranging from Emerald (the entry tier) all the way to Diamond tier which can be attained by earning 100,000 miles or 60 flights in a year.

Negatives of Choosing RwandAir:

Despite the generous baggage allowance it’s important to note that baggage services come at a cost that varies from one destination to another and region to region as well as the type of aircraft being used.

It is best to always double-check baggage allowances for your flight.

Additionally, WiFi is only available on the Boeing 737-800NG, Airbus A330 – 200, and Airbus A330 – 300 planes.

7. EgyptAir

EgyptAir was nominated for the World Travel Awards for Africa’s leading airline 2023 and is a member of the Star Alliance.

It is also the 2020 recipient of the World Airline Awards for Best Airline in Africa.

What to Expect When You Fly with EgyptAir?

EgyptAir is one of Africa’s largest and leading airlines, with its headquarters at Cairo International Airport.

EgyptAir offers Economy and Business Class seating options for its passengers. On board an EgyptAir flight, Economy Class passengers are allowed to bring 1 piece of baggage according to fare rules. If you are part of their loyalty program , however, you will be entitled to bring an extra bag .

All meals served onboard EgyptAir are Halal as well as offering a wide range of different meals to suit vegetarian, Hindu, and hot diabetic meals for customers who have special dietary requirements .

When flying in Business Class or with a Platinum frequent flyer membership on international flights, seat selection is free . Passengers can access inflight entertainment which includes movies, TV shows, and audio channels suitable for all ages.

Destinations EgyptAir Flies To In Africa:

You can fly to the following destinations in Africa from Egypt:

• Tanzania and more.

EgyptAir Loyalty Program:

With EgyptAir Plus Cards , you can get up to the Platinum level with a total of 600,000 Tier Miles earned within 3 years from EgyptAir flights or Star Alliance member carriers.

As a Platinum member, you can enjoy priority boarding and baggage handling, airport lounge access, extra baggage allowance, and much more.

Negatives of Choosing EgyptAir:

• Wi-Fi is only available on aircraft type A220-300 / B787-9 & A320 neo while on board
• Entertainment programs are subject to aircraft and schedule changes
• The fares can add up if you don’t make use of promotional offers so it may be worth shopping around before booking your ticket in order to save money.

8. FlySafair

FlySafair is a relatively young airline in the aviation world however is making an impression with the awards it has received:

• Won the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa award in 2022 and 2021
• Received the Most Punctual Airline in Africa 2022
• Awarded 2nd Most Punctual Airline in the World 2022
• Most On-Time Airline in the Middle East and Africa in 2022
• Best Budget Airline in Africa in 2022
• Best Cabin Crew in Africa in 2022

What to Expect When You Fly with FlySafair?

As recognized by its awards, FlySafair offers exceptionally affordable fares to locations within South Africa and the rest of Africa.

FlySafair ‘s reputation for customer service means that customers are sure to have a pleasant experience when flying with them.

With Economy and Business Class available, they have something for everyone!

FlySafair offers Lite Fare , the cheapest option, which includes a seat on the aircraft and 7kgs of carry-on luggage .

The Standard Fare includes 20kgs of checked-in luggage , priority boarding , and two fee-free changes .

The Business Fare includes two checked bags up to 23kgs , unlimited fee-free flight changes , priority boarding, pre-reserved seating , and a fully refundable ticket to your FlySafair wallet.

Catering is also available for purchase on all of their flights. Given the shorter duration of FlySafair flights, you won’t find any hot meals but there’s still a lovely range of sandwiches and snacks served by their Cabin Crew.

You even have the option to pre-select your seat when making your flight reservation for an additional small fee .

Destinations FlySafair Flies To In Africa:

As well as flying within South Africa, FlySafair flies to the following destinations in Africa:

• Mozomabique
• Victoria Falls

FlySafair Loyalty Program:

FlySafair is no longer accepting new loyalty members.

The only slight negatives about this airline are:

• They are currently not accepting new memberships for their loyalty program, and
• There is no wifi or movie selection on board to keep travelers entertained

FajtJet has split into three subsidiaries: Fastjet Tanzania, Fastjet Mozambique, and Fastjet Zimbabwe.

The airline was awarded the title of Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline in 2023 by the World Airline Awards.

What to Expect When You Fly with Fastjet?

Fastjet is a low-cost carrier airline operates flights to a number of destinations throughout Zimbabwe, as well as to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Traveling with the airline is an affordable way to explore Zimbabwe and its neighboring countries, while still being reliable and secure .

With Fastjet, passengers have the choice of three different fares : Value, Value Flex, and Value Plus .

If you select a Value Plus fare , you’ll also get the perk of being able to select and secure your preferred seat in advance – free of charge !

The Value fare as well as Value Flex allows you to bring a maximum 23kg in one piece of checked baggage , while the Value Plus fares allow two pieces of checked baggage with a combined maximum weight of 32kg . When you fly with Fastjet, you can expect great customer service from their friendly crew members as well as a range of beverages and snacks depending on how long your flight is.

Destinations Fastjet Flies To In Africa:

Fastjet flies to the following destinations in Africa:

Fastjet Loyalty Program:

Fastjet does not have a loyalty program at this time.

Negatives of Choosing Fastjet:

The only downside when flying with Fastjet is that there’s no Wi-Fi or entertainment available on board.

However, this airline still provides an enjoyable experience for travelers looking for a low-cost option.

10. Air Seychelles

Air Seychelles is the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles and has been transporting passengers since 1978.

In recognition of its high-quality service, the airline has been awarded the following awards:

• Africa’s 4th Youngest Aircraft Fleet 2023
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline 2022 in the World Travel Awards
• In dian Ocean’s Leading Airline – Business Class 2022 in the World Travel Awards
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline Lounge 2022 in the World Travel Awards
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Cabin Crew 2022 in the World Travel Awards

What to Expect When You Fly with Air Seychelles?

From its main hub at Seychelles International Airport located on Mahe, Air Seychelles flies to destinations across Africa.

Business and Economy classes will make your travel comfortable , whether you’re traveling for business or leisure.

When you fly with Air Seychelles you can expect Halal certified meals that cater to dietary and religious needs .

You can also book a seat with extra legroom by the exit row to upgrade your level of comfort when traveling in Economy Class for a fee .

Plus, WiFi is available for passengers so that they can connect to their wireless streaming platform, seyStream , showcasing movies , and TV shows as well as entertainment for kids . It’s important to note that airlines will not accept any single item of checked-in baggage over 32 KG in weight, so make sure to check the baggage allowance for your flight before flying. Air Seychelles ‘ baggage allowance across its regional network is based on the total weight concept instead of the number of bags being checked-in.

Business Class travelers can have up to 40kg checked-in baggage allowance, while Economy travelers can have up to 30kg .

Destinations Air Seychelles Flies To In Africa:

Air Seychelles flies to the ofllowing destinations in Africa:

Air Seychelles Loyalty Program:

Air Seychelles ‘ does not currently have their own reward program.

Negatives of Choosing Air Seychelles:

The negatives to flying with Air Seychelles are:

• No reward program
• Their planes are often outdated
• Numerous reports of poor customer service
• Complaints about long lines at both check-in and boarding
• Uncomfortable seating and delay

Here are some answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the top airlines in Africa

According to the Skytrax Awards, Ethiopian Airlines is the best airline in Africa as it won ‘ The Best Airline in Africa’ at the SKYTRAX 2023 awards .

The Rwandan national carrier is the top choice for safety-conscious travelers worldwide and has been deemed the safest airline to fly in Africa from the RwandAir safety record .

Ethiopian Airlines , Africa’s largest and busiest airline, boasts an impressive fleet of 140 aircraft. With its extensive network of destinations and affordable tickets, it remains a top choice for travelers across the continent.

Kenya Airways fell in global airline rankings, while Ethiopian Airlines surged to the top 30 carriers worldwide and also recently won the best airline in Africa award from SKYTRAX.

The cheapest and most low-cost airlines are located in South Africa including; Fastjet and FlySafair. However, Ethiopian Airlines and EgyptAir have been recognized for offering cheap flights.

Final Thoughts on The Top 10 Airlines in Africa

Whether you’re longing for an adventure on a wallet-friendly airline whisking you away to Africa, or craving a pampered journey on a luxurious long-haul flight, this incredible compilation of the top airlines in Africa has got you covered.

Drawing from our experience of traveling to and from Africa, we understand and appreciate the critical role that air travel plays in trip planning.

We know how looking for the right airline can be a source of stress, but rest assured, we are here to guide you through a seamless journey.

Discovering Africa from above is a thrilling adventure. This list shares some of the safest airlines in Africa , while still flying with the largest airlines in Africa, so you don’t have to compromise affordable prices, but the experience is truly rewarding.

We’ve created this list to make your trip planning hassle-free so you can savor the sights without worrying about airline hassles.

To secure the tickets you desire on the biggest airlines in Africa for your trip, it is advisable to plan well in advance.

Jolene Ejmont

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Top 10 best airlines in Africa

• Ethiopian Airlines is ranked as the number one airline in Africa.
• The top African three airlines were Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, and Kenya Airways.
• See more stories on Insider's business page .

Skytrax has revealed the World's Top 100 Airlines for 2021 and Ethiopian Airlines maintained its number one ranking as the best African airline in 2021. The awards were based on customer surveys collected for 23 months, from September 2019 to July 2021, and comprise a mix of more normal travel times and pandemic travel. While the pandemic caused some shifting of airline positions compared to 2019, a handful of core airlines still maintained the higher rankings.

Recommended articles

Branded as the Passenger's Choice Awards, over 13 million travelers worldwide nominated their favorite airline in a survey and ranked specific aspects of the customer experience on a scale of one to five, including cabin service, COVID-19 response, ground/airport services, and the onboard product. Over 350 airlines were included in the survey results.

In Africa, the top African three airlines were Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, and Kenya Airways. Globally, Qatar Airways took home the gold for the sixth time since 2001, followed by Singapore Airlines in second and Japan-based ANA All Nippon Airways in third. Qatar also secured five other awards, including Best Business Class , Best Business Class Seat, Best Airline in the Middle East , World's Best Business Class Airline Lounge, and Best Business Class Onboard Catering.

Other noteworthy winners were Saudi Arabian Airlines , winning Most Improved Airline, Singapore's subsidiary Scoot taking home Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline, and Spain-based Vueling securing Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe.

Here's a closer look at the top 10 African airlines for 2021.

10. Fastjet

Fastjet Plc is a British/South African-based holding company for a group of low-cost carriers that operate in Africa. The company's stated aim is to become the continent's first low-cost, pan-African airline, and the operation was initially created with the acquisition of Fly540, an airline operating in East Africa; flights in Fastjet's own name commenced in November 2012 in Tanzania. Fastjet Zimbabwe commenced flights in October 2015, and Fastjet Mozambique in November 2017. Plans have also been announced for domestic operations in South Africa. As of February 2018, the airline operates four Embraer E145 aircraft across East- and southern Africa. It has carried in excess of 2.5 million passengers with an aggregate 90% on-time performance.

9. Egyptair

The national carrier of the Arab Republic of Egypt, EgyptAir is based at Cairo International Airport. The airline's network includes extensive domestic and regional scheduled passenger and freight services within Egypt and Africa as well as international services to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. EgyptAir is among the largest carriers on the African continent and became a member of the Star Alliance in Jul-2008. EgyptAir Cargo is the airlines dedicated cargo division serving Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

8. FlySafair

FlySafair is a low-cost South African airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The airline specialises in flying domestic flights within South Africa, flying to more than five different destinations across the country.

The airline began operating in October 2014, although the company behind FlySafair has been operating for 50 years. FlySafair has its hubs based in Cape Town International Airport (CPT), OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) and King Shaka International Airport (DUR).

FlySafair flies to 7 domestic destinations within South Africa, including Cape Town, Durban, East London, George, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg. It flies to these destinations using its fleet of 16 Boeing aircraft.

7. Rwandair

RwandAir, the national carrier of Rwanda, currently flies to over 30 destinations in Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. With Kigali International Airport (KGL) as its hub, the airline is one of the fastest-growing airlines and has one of the youngest, state of the art fleets in all of Africa.

The airline has a mission to provide unsurpassed, safe and reliable services in air transportation, including strategically linking Rwanda with the outside world.

6. Air Seychelles

Air Seychelles is the national airline of Seychelles and is headquartered on the island of Mahe. The airline flies to several destinations across multiple countries in Africa and central/eastern Asia.

Air Seychelles was established in 1978, initially flying only domestic flights, until 1983 when the airline launched its first international flights to, serving both Frankfurt and London. Over the years, the airline built and adapted its international route network out and now flies to several countries outside of Seychelles.

In 2014, Air Seychelles received a prestigious four-star rating from Skytrax, as well as accolades for the Leading Business Class and Leading Cabin Crew in the Indian Ocean from the World Travel Awards.

5. Air Mauritius

Air Mauritius is the national flag carrier of Mauritius, based at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Port Louis, Mauritius. The flag carrier is the fourth largest carrier in sub-Saharan Africa and commenced operations in 1972 under the company name of Air Mauritius ltd. Passengers can fly direct to 23 destinations, and to over 100 destinations with the airline's partners.

4. Royal Air Maroc

Royal Air Maroc, which is commonly known as 'RAM', is the largest airline in Morocco. The airline was founded in July 1953, as a result of a merger of Air Maroc and Air Atlas. The airline is headquartered at Casablanca-Anfa Airport, near the Moroccan city of Casablanca, but its primary hub airport is Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport.

RAM operates both medium-haul and long-haul flights and flies to over 100 destinations worldwide, including countries in Europe, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East.

3. Kenya Airways

Kenya Airways is one of the largest airlines in Africa, and flies all across the world to top destinations. The airline has grown tremendously since conception and continues to thrive across the African skies.

Boasting a crew of friendly and helpful staff, it’s no wonder Kenya Airways holds the 2016 and 2017 World Travel Award for Africa's Leading Airline! Also, known as ‘Africa’s Pride’, the airline has contributed significantly to raising the standards of African aviation through their continued service excellence.

2. South African Airways

With hubs at Johannesburg and Cape Town, South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier of South Africa and ranks among the largest airlines on the African continent. The carrier is wholly-owned by the South African government and operates an extensive network of services throughout Africa and international services to North America, South America, Asia, Australia and Europe. SAA became a member of the Star Alliance in 2006.

1. Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines is the national airline of Ethiopia, based in Addis Ababa. One of the leading airlines on the African continent, Ethiopian Airlines serves more than 60 international destinations across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, as well as operating an extensive domestic and international cargo network. Ethiopian Airlines became a member of Star Alliance in Dec-2011.

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$280 Find Cheap Flights to Africa

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a kayak user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from the united states to africa departing on 10/25. fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. click the price to replicate the search for this deal., search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to africa.

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Best Africa Flight Deals

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

Good to know

Faqs - booking africa flights, what are the best airports to fly in and out of north america to get to and from africa.

John F. Kennedy in New York is one of the best airports connecting the U.S. to Africa. It is strategically located on North America's east coast and offers both non-stops and layover flights to more than half of the countries in Africa. Washington Dulles International Airport also serves airlines that facilitate non-stops to Africa and offer affordable rates for layover flights.

Which airlines have cheaper prices on flights from the U.S. to Africa?

Generally, the cheapest airlines for flying from the U.S. to Africa are airlines that are members of Star Alliance, including LOT Polish Airlines, TAP Portugal, Air Canada, Ethiopian Airlines, and South African Airlines. All these airlines offer layover flights that are cheaper than their direct-flight alternatives.

Do I need a visa to fly to countries in Africa?

Several countries in Africa require American citizens to have visas. However, in countries like Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, Reunion Island, Senegal, and Zimbabwe, you can stay for up to three months without a visa. Meanwhile, countries like Tonga, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, and Seychelles will issue a visa after one month of stay. On the other hand, some countries, like Zambia, Uganda, and Tanzania, give visas upon arrival.

Can you fly nonstop to South Africa from North America?

Yes. From airports like Newark Liberty International Airport, United Airlines has non-stops to Cape Town, and from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta Airlines has non-stops to Johannesburg. Ethiopian Airlines has non-stops from Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C. to Addi Ababa; Royal Air Maroc has non-stops from JFK and Miami to Casablanca in Morocco; and EgyptAir has non-stops from Dulles and New York to Cairo. Find your way via ground transportation to get to any of these airports to ensure you get the best rates on your trip.

Which is the best airport to fly to in East Africa?

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, is the best airport into which you should arrive in East Africa. It is the largest and busiest in the area because it is centrally located and receives international flights from over five cities in the United States.

Which is the best airport to fly to in West Africa?

Kotoka International Airport (ACC) in Ghana is the best airport to fly into in West Africa. This is because multiple international airlines that fly between the U.S. and West Africa arrive at ACC.

How long is the flight to Africa?

An average nonstop flight from the United States to Africa takes 15h 02m, covering a distance of 6053 miles. The most popular route is New York - Lagos with an average flight time of 9h 55m.

What is the cheapest flight to Africa?

The cheapest ticket to Africa from the United States found in the last 72 hours was $272 one-way, and $434 round-trip. The most popular route is New York John F Kennedy Intl to Lagos Murtala Muhammed and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $850.

Which airlines fly to Africa?

Delta, United Airlines & American Airlines fly the most frequently from the United States to Africa.

What are the most popular destinations in Africa?

Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Lagos (31% of total searches to Africa). The next most popular destinations are Cairo (26%) and Accra (17%). Searches for flights to Casablanca (8%), to Johannesburg (8%) and to Cape Town (8%) are also popular.

How does KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Africa

• Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Africa flight deals.
• There are many countries with undiscovered and hidden gems for tourists. One of these is the famed Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, which you can access by flying into Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is just 30 minutes away from this landmark.
• Both Delta Airlines and South African Airlines have nonstop flights from the U.S. to South Africa. Delta offers a nonstop flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg International Airport, while South African Airlines offers a nonstop flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Washington's Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Johannesburg International Airport (JNB).
• New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport offers non-stops to most countries in Africa, including South Africa, Ghana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Senegal via Delta Airlines.  However, if you’re flying in from other cities such as Miami or Baltimore on Delta Airlines, expect a stop at JFK and/or Paris that may last up to five hours, depending on the details of your trip.
• If you want to experience the savannas and robust wildlife in Africa, visit the wildlife parks and sanctuaries in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. Book a flight on Kenya Airways at JFK, directly to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, or on American Airlines, and find your way to Nairobi National Park, which is only 30 minutes from the airport. Fly to Tanzania on connecting flights via Delta Airlines to Kilimanjaro International Airport, which is approximately 90 minutes from Kilimanjaro National Park.
• The annual Gerewol Festival in Chad, which happens in the last week of September, is often described as the world’s most competitive male beauty pageant. In order to find affordable connecting flights to Chad from JFK on Turkish Airlines, it's advised that you book your flights at least two months before your departure date as ticket prices tend to skyrocket in the months leading up to the event.
• Connecting flights from the U.S. to Africa are significantly cheaper than non-stops. Therefore, if your priority is saving money, when flying to West Africa, book flights that have layovers in Paris. If you are planning to fly to South Africa, stop over in London or select another flight that involves a stopover in Dubai. If your priority is saving time, opt for non-stops to Africa facilitated by your airline of choice.

Top 5 airlines flying to Africa

The important things including boarding and the flight being on time and safe were excellent. The disappointment comes from the comfort and amenities. Was misled by the "availability" of inflight internet- there is an extra cost. The tray table was broken, the bathroom door stuck and flight attendants were competent but not very friendly.

The Pilot was one of the best I've had, very informative about turbulence and got us to our destination early

The Gate Attendant @ Gate B36 was rude The flight was good but the entertainment system was not functioning as expected. The snacks were ok but could be better The flight crew was excellent.

Flight was delayed, missed connectingnflight to DC. Put me on flight to Baltimore, had to rent a car for $200. Plane was old, wall peeling around window. Flight was packed, every seat full on small plane. I spent 14 hrs on Friday in airports and missed my planned weekend event.

Had us delay to fix forward restroom only to have stop working so I had a line of people's rear. The entire flight.

Don't need the male flight attended lecturing. The whole plane on how to act when there was no problems.Other than that everything was great

My Flight was cancelled and there was no other options available for me to Travel on that date and my options for the next day was all connecting flights that would have me in the airports all day before reaching my destination

Other airlines were canceling flights but Delta got us home. Crew was friendly and professional. It would have been nice to have had a little more notice about the delays because we had already arrived at the airport when the first of several delays were communicated but I understand that storm forecasting isn’t simple and we were grateful that Delta didn’t just cancel the flight.

Not pleasant. We arrived several hours late and my friend and driver were waiting for me a long time at Tucson airport. At first we had to divert to phoenix due to shitty weather. Well, i guess I can’t fault anyone for that. But then when they refueled , they overfueled and we had to wait even longer for the plane to burn off excess fuel. So someone really screwed up there and should get fired. Human error is really inexcusable.

Left on time. Arrived on time. That’s all i ask.

They again did not offer any functioning WiFi in the transatlantic crossing.

The first half from DC to Paris was very good and the staff were very helpful and humble BUT flight from Paris to Mumbai was sad. 1) it was packed. 2) no space on head compartment 3) crews were unresponsive to the calls 4) one crew member literally banged the bottle of water after giving me glass of water. A little water splashed on me and she was unapologetic 5) with so many hours of flight, little leg space should be taken care else don’t fill your airline till brim which affects your crew and they remove anger on us. 6) huge line for washrooms. 7) 2nd half journey was pathetic

At check-in at Guarulhos Airport, I was coerced to pay EUROS 100 for each of my two teenage kids travelling on economy premium on the same flight (total charge of EUROS 200) to AIR FRANCE on the rational that they were on a different class and therefore they would require additional care from the flight crew. My wife and I would be (and actually flew) only a few meters from our kids on business class in the same flight. Air France took EUROS 200 from me in exchange for absolutely nothing. My kids are seasoned travelers and independent, and in any event, they were not given any special or any other assistance or attention by Air France flight crew as result or in connection with the fee charged from me at any given time during the flight to Paris - so ABSOLUTELY NO SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AND THE FEE WAS SIMPLY ANOTHER WAY OF “MILKING “ EXTRA EUROS 200 FROM ME. Worse, Air France made us wait for everyone to deplane in Paris to let us deplane - after an Air France Paris representative ridiculously confirmed that our kids were our kids, with our kids at that time already by our side seating in business class. We almost lost our connection to Malta as a result. Such a scheme from Air France is outrageous – especially because it penalizes its customers flying in business class or in first class. I would have imagined that Air France would have wanted to attract clients to fly its premium classes – not to charge cheap EURO 100 fees and to keep them waiting to deplane with their families after 12 hours flights at their destination. You won’t see us any time soon Air France and best of luck with your strategy !

Flight was late over a hour just like the first one. WiFi was down.

I paid 3 this and dollars for two tickets. No food, minimum drink, confused service and very uncomfortable sear. There was zero difference between busy ness and tourist class. I received a pathetic apology

Forty five minutes late for departure. Staff were pleasant. Food was adequate but not outstanding. Entertainment system was very good, as it usually is on Air France.

My only issue was my meal was inedible except for the sides.

Old cabine without flat bed in business for a 12 hour flight is not acceptable

Generally good. The crew is excellent. The food could be better.

They wanted to close counter although they did not provide the wheelchair requested which ended by going alone to transit security and lost long time and they did not want to wait .

Love that they had a bassinet for our child during the flight. Thank you for that big time.

We are thankful for the useful gifts provided by the airline.The entertainment and crew were also very good

The flight encountered weather turbulences and it was scary at times but the pilot was outstanding! The food is outstanding! The crew was great. Only thing is the flight path map could be better (Reference: Emirates) Also would be nice to have more choice of soft drinks during the flight since it is a long flight. If the crews coming around with water instead of us going to the crew area asking.

Amazing, great airlines to go in business class. Hospitality is amazing. Food is great and lounge in Istanbul is at another level.

Overall it was a pretty good experience until I arrived in Accra and my suitcase was left in turkey.

My experience with Turkish airlines has been pretty good. I connected from Istanbul to Tirana Albania. One of my luggage’s didn’t come. Very disappointed with that, we had our year old grandson with us! Babiest things were in that bag . Hopefully I get the bag tomorrow or next day !

Awful. They cancelled my seats and demanded $1360 to rebook me

United failed me in cancelling flight to Chicago. Then put me on American Airlines standby to Miami for onward connection to RMO via IST. Standby failed. They looked me for Sunday morning 24 hours late at this point). Made it to Miami but Turkish airlines cancelled my seats and demanded $1360 to rebook the flights for the following day ! I went to United, spent two hours negotiating with Mr Ruis ? Who said he could do anything for me as he could fix problems that United caused in Miami. He suggested I call the 800 number. When I managed to.get through on my 6th call, I was on hold 2 hours and 30 minutes waiting for an agent when the call was cut off by United phone system. I went back to American. At last a lady , who had zero responsibility in this fiasco, helped me to find a replacement flight that night with Polish airlines to RMO through Warsaw at a cost of $968 including bag charge. I booked it with only a few hours to spare. The lady at American helped to recover and redirect my checked suitcase that had arrived in Miami a day earlier United customer service were awful. United partner Turkish airlines were horrendous and took zero responsibility. I ended up being late to my appointment overseas by 45 hours with zero compensation, no food vouchers, no replacement flights until I found one and paid for it myself. I reporting the entire fiasco to the secretary of state for Tennessee for law violations and refusal to remedy and compensate. I now need help to extend the trip by two days but United are not responding to communications

I was flying with Turkish Airlines from Tashkent to Dallas and from Dallas to Tashkent. In both directions the flights were late. I missed my connecting flight from Istanbul to Dallas in Istanbul airport because of that. That led to a no show case with a rental company in Dallas and I lost 460 US dollars. On the way from Dallas to Tashkent with a layover in Istanbul the plane was also late and I almost missed my connecting flight to Tashkent. Then my bag did not arrive with the same plane and only on the next morning flight from Istanbul. I was about to leave Tashkent the same day to Astana in Kazakhstan and then from there for work in Saudi Arabia. Luckily I had an excess in time before the next flight and I manage to get my bag back. Otherwise I would have missed 3 flights automatically because I couldn't travel for work without my bag and all valuables in it. So, overall, very bad experience with Turkish Airlines. Will never use these airlines again.

On my flight the menus showed different food and different was available. I think that was a miscommunication maybe. Other than that flight was wonderful.

My experience was with Ethiopian airlines was pathetic. I would not recommend anyone to travel with Ethiopian air. Customer Service was very poor, rude stuff and flight attendants. Unwilling to offer help when asked either not able to articulate English properly or adamantly rude. Bole airport is dirty and unpleasant. Many passengers going through the airport but inadequate staff to offer service. Passengers in the flight very unkempt. Noisy flight. flight attendants unable to make order during flight. Passengers with kids unable to control their kids. The kids kept screaming, and shouting during the flight making everyone uncomfortable. Overall the flight was not comfortable.

1. They messed up my baby food order. 2. They messed up my confirmed seats. 3. The screen on my seat was not working at all. So, it’s a horrible experience

I like the leg room. I did not like the plane from Chicago to Addis. It was dirty and smelly and toilet area filthy. My screen was not working and kept saying loading. The plane from Addis to Harare was clean , more modern and food looked much fresher and tasted better. Boarding at Addis was a nightmare, long queues and lots of confusion,International space has no seating are and one is standing all the time.

It’s good alternative flight out from Mogadishu, especially for the timing

Am Wowed I did not ever thought African has such an amazing airline before.

I took 4 Ethiopian Airlines flights on my trip. Each flight was one of the worst experiences I have had flying. The interior was filthy on each flight, the seats, the floors, the bathrooms. All were filthy. At 5-10, my knees touched the seat in front of me. The person in front of me declined their seat, basically making eye contact with me should they look up. My seat did not recline, so I was trapped in my seat, unable to use the bathroom or get up from my seat unless I woke up the person laying in my lap. My tv and seat were broken, as well as my friends seat and tv for our 14 hr flight. The bathroom closest to us was already clogged before we took off, so the backed up bathroom smells wafted out and into our row the entire 14 hr flight. Out of 4 flights, they were out of vegetarian food options for each meal. Flight staff was fairly rude and unapologetic, finally agreeing to give me a second roll and butter instead of no substitute offered for most of the meals. Flight crew had zero control over the passengers, allowing adults to congregate by exit doors and talk loudly during sleeping hours. Children were allowed to be completely ignored as they played outside of their seats and screeched for the ENTIRE 16 hr return flight. Forcing passengers to try and shush the children. Passengers then got up and got their bags the second the flight touched down, ignoring all safety and exit protocols. I will NEVER fly another Ethiopian Airlines flight as long as I live.

Lost our bags. They didn’t make it to Lilongwe

Movie channels was great. Air hostess could be a little more caring

I did not receive my luggage This airline is not good. My luggage is missing please you guys need to find my luggage. It’s been three days now I cannot get my luggage. This is not a good business I

Business and economy lines were common for most of the journey including check in and security control in Addis Abbeba. Food choice was fine, however there was a hair in my rice

Long delayed that cause missing my connection. Accommodation and food at the Casablanca airport was horrible

Educate your crew members they need to understand what their job is and customers service and be human.

This was the worst experience ever. It was such chaos at boarding due to boarding zone and letting everyone with children and strollers go first. Once the plane door closed they didn’t let us know why we were not moving until after 30 mins of sitting on the plane. Then ANOTHER 2 hours passed with no other communication or update as to why we were still sitting on the plane. 2 and half hours of sitting on a plane! When I ask a flight attendant what was the delay he gave ALOT of attitude and said he don’t know what’s going on. This flight attendant was soooo rude to customers to the point one lady was telling him how rude he was. I also felt other flight attendants spoke to the people who spoke their language; I am an American so this was also upsetting. The food was horrible, I only ate the bread. We finally landed and we almost missed our connecting flight. We was able to run and make out next flight within 30 mins. Our flight from Casablanca to Marrakech was quick. BUT here is where I was really UPSET. They left everyone luggage who was on the flight in Casablanca. We went to baggage claim and they had Attitudes! How are you mad with us for losing our bags, I don’t get it. We had to wait for the next flight to come in with our bags. The baggage claim guy said they wouldn’t deliver our bags to our hotel because of past experiences; now we have to pay for another cab to come back! They had so much luggage outside of baggage claim I can see this was happening to a lot of people. They said they would email us once our bags arrived. He told us the next flights coming in (which I researched myself and he gave the wrong times!). We took a cab to our hotel to wait. I seen my bag was at RAK airport (because of my AirTag) 4 hours later but no email from baggage claim. I waited two more hours and still no email letting us know it arrive! We missed dinner plans! We went to airport and got our bags (security at RAK was rude to us and had us walking all around in order to get to baggage claim). I will NEVER fly with Royal Air Maroc ever in life, even if it means I can’t fly to other countries that I would love to visit since this ruined my friends birthday already. I PRAY our flight back home is wayyy better. This is no way to treat people. I fly frequently so I know how airlines should treat people and Royal does not!

On line check was unavailable even tho I was receiving emails to check in and select my seat. At the gate was told all seats were taken ahead of time and was pre assigned a bad seat. When could you check in the choose a seat ???? The ran out of all food choices in business class !!! I had nothing to eat. They told me to pre order a special meal. I don’t want a special meal I was a regular meal. Seats very uncomfortable for business class prices.

Babies, crying, movies and sound doesn’t working overpacked and delayed flight

Pretty good flights! If they can let y u s know regarding delays by announcing it in the PA system it would be a good business practice!

While I had a business class ticket I wasn’t given priority to boar. Again my luggage had priority tags and these bags didn’t come out till the end!! The food at the lounge was only two type of sandwiches and warm juices and soft drinks I thought I’m paying for good services but the least u can say it’s mediocre at best. I’m considering not to use TAM AGAIN.

3 hours late, came at my final destination without any of my luggage.

The service was terrible. We weren’t allowed to take water on the flight and the drinks were offered only at the end of the meal. When we used the button to call the flight attendants, they never showed up and when my daughter’s drink was spilled due to turbulences, she asked for something to clean her pants at least 4 times and eventually they gave her a tissue. The flight attendants were rude and overall the flight was terrible!

Delays with no communication. Broken business class seat and no one seems to care or help.

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A Guide to Travel Restrictions Throughout Africa

Many predicted dire consequences when COVID-19 made its way across Africa , but the case numbers in African countries have largely remained low, especially in contrast with the United State s and Europe . 

Experts have posited that factors like climate, strict lockdown, the continent’s relatively young population (more than 60 percent of Africans are under 25), and preparation measures already in place for other outbreaks may have all played a role. 

But case counts, as well as government responses, have varied across the continent. South Africa has been the continent’s worst-affected country, accounting for nearly half the deaths despite a rather strict lockdown, and now a new, more infectious variant ; Rwanda, which has also implemented strict measures, has reported just over 200 deaths; while Tanzania stopped releasing official numbers after April and resumed international travel early, with surprisingly relaxed measures.

Many African nations are welcoming foreign travelers again, but quite a few exclude visitors from America. On the flip side, the United States has recently added South Africa to its COVID travel restrictions, meaning that non-U.S. citizens (including residents), may not enter the country if they were in South Africa within the 14 days prior. If you do decide to travel, be conscientious about not overburdening the local health systems. Stay on top of each country’s rules—which are subject to change based on rising case numbers—and wear masks , practice social distancing, and sanitize regularly.

Northern Africa

As of July, Egypt has been open to international travelers. All visitors must present printed results from a negative PCR test taken within 96 hours of entry, and must fill out a Public Health Card for contact tracing on arrival. Anyone flying directly into Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Marsa Alam, or Taba who doesn’t have a PCR test must test on arrival and stay in their hotel room until the results are available. All indoor events are canceled, and restaurants and cafes are operating at 50 percent capacity.

Though Morocco began lifting travel restrictions in September, the country is under a new state of emergency, with a nationwide curfew. 

Morocco , which began lifting restrictions in September, has since instated a Health State of Emergency until February 10 at the earliest and implemented a nationwide curfew. Under that, restaurants, cafes, shops, and supermarkets throughout the country close at 8 p.m. 

Travelers from visa-exempt countries—including the U.S.—with confirmed hotel reservations are allowed, as are business travelers invited by Moroccan companies. Visitors must have a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours before departure, with printed results to be presented at check in and health screenings at the port of entry. The rules change frequently and can make travel within Morocco a challenge.

East Africa

One of the first African countries to open widely for tourism, back in June, was Tanzania . At the time, there were no testing or quarantine requirements. That was changed in August to require a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel, but the rule was later lifted in September. Now only enhanced screenings (and testing on arrival, if deemed necessary) are required. That said, your airline will likely require a negative PCR test to board, so it’s best to get tested regardless of changing rules. Keep in mind that the Tanzanian government has not released any of its COVID-19 statistics since April, so accurate information about the impact of the pandemic on locals is not readily available. The U.S. has also given the destination a Level 4 travel warning , saying “travelers should avoid all travel to Tanzania” due to a “very high level of COVID-19.” 

Tanzania was one of the first African countries to reopen for tourism, though the U.S. government warns travelers against visiting right now.

Kenya reopened its borders to international travelers—Americans included—in August. As of February, all travelers must present a digitally verified COVID test through the Trusted Traveler program . Group gatherings are banned throughout the country, with the exception of funerals and weddings, which are allowed to host up to 150 people . 

Rwanda is open to travelers, but you'll have to jump through some hoops before you can go gorilla trekking . First, fill out Rwanda’s passenger locator form online —you’ll have to upload a negative PCR test taken less than 120 hours before departure, along with your hotel reservation. A second PCR test is administered upon arrival in Kigali (at a cost of $50, plus a $10 medical services fee), and you’ll quarantine in your hotel room at your own expense until the results come back within 24 hours. To enter Volcanoes , Nyungwe , or Akagera national parks, you’ll have to submit a registration and indemnity form prior to arrival (ask your local tour operator for this), and also test negative within 72 hours of your park visit. Travelers must test negative once again before departure.

Uganda reopened borders October 1 with new safety measures: a negative PCR test issued within 120 hours of travel is required. Officials recommend arriving at the airport four hours prior to your flight to clear all medical screenings. In addition to regulated social distancing around other people, visitors to Uganda’s national parks must stay at least 32 feet away from gorillas during sightings.

Visitors to Ethiopia can fly into Addis Ababa Bole International Airport’s brand-new $300 million contactless, biosafety-focused airport terminal —but to do so, you’ll need to present a negative PCR test taken within five days of arrival in Ethiopia. Even with the negative test, all visitors must self-isolate at a hotel for seven days.

Indian Ocean islands

Seychelles has been slowly reopening to international travel, but Americans have not yet made the cut—except for those who are fully vaccinated. Anyone who’s received both doses of the vaccination is welcome from anywhere in the world, provided they show proof of vaccination and they’re traveling more than two weeks after their second dose. A negative PCR test within 72 hours is still required. The country projects that the majority of Seychelles’ adults will be vaccinated by mid-March, which is when they plan to open fully for international tourism.

Southern Africa

South Africa recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Africa—more than half of the total numbers on the continent. The country began reopening its borders to Americans in November, requiring a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival and the use of a COVID tracing app. Travelers must also fill out a health questionnaire two days prior to arriving and two days prior to departing. The emergence of a new variant in recent weeks has caused concerns. Last week, Biden added South Africa to a list of restricted countries (though U.S. citizens can return from South Africa), and there’s now a national lockdown in place from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

U.S. citizens will be permitted enter Zambia upon presenting a negative PCR test result taken within seven days of departure. You can apply for an e-visa online . Travelers to Zimbabwe must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure, but should be aware that a new, strict lockdown began this month, which prohibits all gatherings, the closure of non-essential businesses, and a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. For Namibia , a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival is required; if your test was taken more than 72 hours but less than one week before arrival, you’ll have to undergo supervised isolation at a government-approved hotel for seven days.

West Africa

Arriving in Ghana is a two-test process: First, you need a negative PCR test result from within 72 hours of departure in hand; then, you'll head to a new state-of-the-art lab that has been set up at Accra’s Kotoka International Airport for mandatory antigen tests at each travelers’ own expense ($150). Results typically arrive within 15 minutes, though the test must be paid for online in advance.

Nigeria reopened in September with strict testing protocols. Travelers must upload proof of a negative PCR test taken within 96 hours before boarding their flight to receive a QR code with a Permit to Travel certificate; both this and the negative PCR test must be shown in order to board any flight to Nigeria, and then again on arrival. After seven days, a second PCR test must be taken at the traveler's expense (ranging from about $112 to $132). Before traveling to Nigeria, visit the country’s travel portal to fill out a health questionnaire, upload your first negative PCR test result, and schedule and pay in advance for your second test.

All travelers to Senegal must present a negative PCR test dated within five days of arrival, as well as submit a passenger locator form . While some public spaces, like bars and theaters, remain closed, restaurants, private beaches, and markets are partially open with social distancing measures in effect, and a nightly curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

This article was originally published in November 2020. It has been updated with new information. We’re reporting on how COVID-19 impacts travel on a daily basis. Find our   latest coronavirus coverage here , or visit our complete guide to   COVID-19 and travel .

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Flying in Africa: How Do I Know Which Airlines are Safe?

It’s an unfortunate fact that flying in Africa is more risky than just about anywhere else in the world.

Statistics seem to support what many travelers innately fear: that flying in less-developed countries — which Africa has a lot of — can somehow be dangerous. And public perception is not helped by headlines generated by the European Union’s notorious “blacklist” of banned airlines, many of which are from sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the most recent report from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the U.N., Africa had an air accident rate of 7.9 in 2011, versus the global average of 4.2 and the North American rate of 3.5. Another organization, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), shows a 2012 accident rate of 3.71 in Africa, versus .15 in Europe and .2 globally.

The Truth Behind the Headlines

Before you cancel your plans to travel to the continent, let’s put those stats into perspective. The ICAO stats show 7.9 accidents per MILLION departures, and the IATA stats reveal 3.71 accidents per MILLION flight sectors.

What this means is that you probably have a higher chance of being hit by lightning (as the saying goes) than of dying in a plane crash in Africa. And you’re only marginally more likely to be involved in a crash in Kenya than in Kiribati, in the grand scheme of things.

Most African airlines are very safe, especially the large, mainstream ones that fly to and from other continents. For example, Ethiopian Airways is one of the top airlines globally (not just in Africa). And carriers like South African Airways, Egyptair and Air Mauritius have not only a good safety record, but also (relatively) new planes and good service.

Yes, there were two crashes in Africa in past couple of years — Dana Air in Lagos, Nigeria, and a cargo jet in Accra, Ghana — with one resulting in passenger fatalities. But these were not the only aviation accidents in the world. Commercial flights also crashed in Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Russia, Myanmar and China during the past 18 months.

The smaller, lesser-known carriers and the countries with lax standards are what should concern travelers. Luckily there are ways to find out which ones to avoid. A good place to start is with the many international and national organizations which rate and monitor aviation safety and offer searchable lists and reports.

Evaluating Airlines

Obviously, the EU’s list is one source of information. It’s basically an index of airlines that don’t meet the EU’s stringent safety and training criteria for planes that traverse its airspace. 111 African airlines appear on the latest list, plus hundreds more from places like Indonesia and the Philippines.

111 sounds like a dire number, but bear in mind that the vast majority of these airlines are not ones that a typical tourist or business traveler would have any reason to be on. They are mostly obscure cargo carriers based in places like Benin, Congo and Angola — with the notable exceptions of LAM-Mozambique Airlines and Zambezi Airlines (Zambia).

Another good resource is the IATA member registry. The IATA does its own safety audits by airline, in a manner similar to the EU. Once an airline passes muster, it can become a member. At the moment, there more than 240 member airlines worldwide, including more than 30 in Africa. To search the IATA member registry, click here .

If you don’t see your airline in the IATA list, it means that the carrier is not a member. This may be because it chose not to be audited, or because it was audited and didn’t pass. Worryingly, the crashes last year in Accra and Lagos were both of unaudited airlines.

The Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA), an independent Swiss-based research organization, also assesses the top 100 airlines by revenue in the world, using its own algorithms and a set of 15 “holistic” criteria. This won’t help if you are seeking information on small airlines from developing and emerging countries, but it does include many of the big well-known carriers: Ethiopian Airlines (ranked 69), Kenya Airways (76), Egyptair (38), and South African Airways (56).

America’s Federal Aviation Administration approaches aviation safety by country, not airline. Its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program rates the ability of various countries to adhere to aviation standards and practices established by the ICAO. A Category 1 ranking means the country meets the standards; Category 2 means it does not.

Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa fall into category 1, while Ghana, Ivory Coast, Gambia, and Swaziland fall into category 2. The problem with this list, which you can view here, is that it only covers countries which have existing (or proposed) service to the U.S. So a whole lot of African countries are not monitored by the FAA.

Additional Resources

One rating system that pulls all of the above together is the one offered by AirlineRatings.com , which was started by an independent group of journalists and aviation experts. Their 7-star system rates 425 airlines around the world and takes into account the EU list, the FAA/IASA ratings, the IATA evaluations, and a few other factors. Plug in an airline name, and see what pops up; one-star airlines are best avoided.

And for those who simply want to know if a particular airline has been involved in a crash in the last 40-odd years, there’s always AirSafe.com , which tracks plane crashes and accidents worldwide, all the way back to 1970. But don’t assume that because an airline had a crash in 1990 that it’s a dangerous carrier now — many airlines that were once shoddy have improved dramatically in the last couple of decades. In fact, airline safety worldwide has improved greatly just in the last five years.

Some experts advise flying on airlines that are members of a major alliance such as Oneworld or Star Alliance , as member airlines tend to reinforce safety standards with each other.

If you’re still concerned about flying in Africa, an easy way to put the risk in perspective is to consider the danger of alternative forms of transport: air travel is 12 times safer than traveling by train, and 60 times less hazardous than traveling by car.

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The 6 best airlines to fly to Africa

Although only 3% of international flights originate in Africa, the best Airlines to fly to Africa are a game changer.

Many reputable airlines fly on the African sky because the continent is changing its face. Coming from Asia, Europe or the U.S, Africa is awash with all the goodies.

Leisure tourism is a major revenue earner across Africa but business tourism is also a huge boost. There are massive investment opportunities in the world’s second-largest continent.

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Although a big number of visitors come for leisure purposes, there is a growing number of business travelers. This explains why best airlines to fly to Africa exist and keep getting better.

What is the Best Airlines to Fly to Africa?

As 2022 takes on to its last quarter, we take a look at which airlines will be the greatest options for getting to Africa. It’s in addition to the airline’s most sought-after stops in Africa.

They include the following.

United Airlines

It’s one of the few U.S-based carriers that fly to South Africa directly. Even though new regulations and testing will be implemented next year, United has no plans to end its nonstop service.

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This is why they are so committed to keeping their airline operating as a secure and reliable link throughout Africa.

• Delta Airlines

Delta is among the best airlines to fly to Africa from the United States of America. It remains one of the best U.S- based airlines serving Africa for over a decade.

During the course of that time, they have carried five million people. The unique convenience of the Delta state is a major factor in the success of their transatlantic flights.

Why? Because customers may do more in a day and wait less if they can make connections the same day.

Brussels Airlines

Belgium’s Brussels Airlines remains at the forefront of connecting the US and Europe with French-speaking African countries via their Brussels hub.

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The carrier ranks among the best airlines to fly to Africa for many other factors including convenience. Seats have a leather headrest that adjusts in height and a generous legroom of (33 – 84cm).

It offers one of the largest in-seat entertainment touch screens in economy class (8,9 or 22,6cm).

• Ethiopian Airlines

One of Africa’s largest airlines, Ethiopian Airlines flies to a whopping 44 different countries throughout the continent. Additionally, all passengers in Ethiopian’s economy class have access to the newest entertainment options.

They include light snacks, and complete meals during their flights. The airline acquired the title of Skytrax Best Airline in Africa and also offers a wide variety of wines and alcoholic beverages.

• Qatar Airways

When it comes to safety, Qatar Airways is among the best airlines to fly to Africa. It has a perfect score from the independent aviation safety agency.

Also read:  Africa doubled foreign investment in 2021 – UNCTAD

Thus, it should come as no surprise that Qatar Airways has some of the most spacious economy seats. It’s in addition to the finest in-flight dining provided by a crew that has won numerous awards for its service, of course.

Particularly impressive is the availability of 4000 different forms of entertainment. In addition, Qatar has increased the baggage limit for economy class travelers going to Africa from one bag to two (23kg each.)

Whether you’re interested in exploring ancient North Africa or Southern Africa, you can do it all with the help of Emirates. Not only does it have a substantial presence in West Africa, but also in East Africa.

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What airlines fly into africa.

When looking for the best airlines to fly to Africa, you have more than one option to choose from. Feel free to choose from the following airlines across the world.

• Turkish Airlines
• Kenya Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• South African Airways

Which is the Safest African Airline?

RwandAir stands as Africa’s most secure airline. The Rwandese national carrier, became the first airline in Africa to receive the diamond status grade for Covid-19 prevention efforts.

This accreditation by PEX Health Safety, courtesy of SimpliFlyin is the “highest attainable level,” an airline can get. This means that RwandAir adheres to the strictest standards of cleanliness and safety at every stage of the travel process.

The airline received the honor because of its ongoing commitment to providing a spotless environment for both passengers and employees.

See Africa Today

See Africa Today is the only travel-oriented website giving you content focused on the beauty of Africa. One of the worlds unique pleasures is the ability to travel to Africa, and many travelers have the opportunity to do so, but for the rest of the world, Africa is still a very far off continent. We aim to dispel the myth that Africa is a dangerous continent and use storytelling to showcase the unique land mass that has so much to offer the world.

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Why Is It So Hard for Africans to Travel in Africa?

The world’s second-largest continent is home to stunning landscapes, ancient cities, award-winning wine regions, and more. but for african passport holders, organizing trips within the continent comes with its share of obstacles..

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The capital and largest city in Senegal, Dakar has a metropolitan population of 3.5 million.

Photo by Michelle Heimerman

I was scrolling on social media when a post caught my eye. Green Ranger Safaris , a travel company I’d never heard of, was organizing a road trip through seven African countries. This trip would start in Nairobi, Kenya, then head down into Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana. The pricing was reasonable, so I paid a deposit, brushing aside concerns about both spending weeks on end with a group of strangers and the slight chance that the trip might have been an excellently worded scam.

A few months later, in August, I was on a truck with those strangers. It was late in the evening, and we swept through the Kalahari Desert in northern Botswana, the sun in the sky a flaming orb, the only visible life on the sand of the desert being the shrubs, the wild horses, and the herds of elephants. Music swirled from the truck’s speakers, a mishmash of popular Kenyan songs from the turn of the century and Nigerian megahits. The countries we were traveling to had been chosen mostly because they were all English-speaking and provided visa-free travel to Kenyans, so the border crossings were simple, with clearances for the trucks, stamps for our passports and, in Botswana, disinfectant for our shoes.

Talk among the passengers was already turning toward doing similar trips in other parts of Africa. One suggested starting in Namibia, sweeping down along the coast into South Africa, moving through the megacities there, then traveling to Lesotho and Eswatini before entering Mozambique. Another pitched a West Africa trip. It all sounded exciting. Everything was possible. But then another passenger brought up Niger, where a coup had just led to the country’s closure of its borders. What would happen if a person took a West Africa road trip and then there was a coup? Would the passenger have to stay there and never go home? We laughed at the absurdity. But behind the laughter was real heartache. Because the reality is that any African traveler has thought about the difficulty of traveling as an African.

My mother was a traveler, and when she traveled for work, my brothers and I would travel in Kenya with her. Then, when I was older, the expanse of my travel grew larger: First I traveled around Kenya, then around East Africa. Now I have a desire to explore the continent, to explore versions of myself in other countries in Africa, home to some of the most humbling and impressive landscapes and vistas in the world: to the largest freestanding mountain on earth (Kilimanjaro); to the largest hot desert in the world (Sahara); to thundering waterfalls twice as wide and deep as Niagara (Victoria); to sparkling white-sand beaches; to UNESCO-listed nature reserves; to cities whose histories stretch back through millennia; and to award-winning wine regions. But I find myself marooned before the bank of difficulties other African travelers face.

A few months after my Green Ranger trip, I spoke to Anneli Douglas, an academic at the University of Pretoria in South Africa who has studied travel in Africa. She pointed out how much easier it is for Western visitors to get visas for Africa than it is for African travelers to visit their countries. “Sometimes, travelers have to travel long distances to apply for a visa, or there might not even be representation of the destination country in the home country, making it difficult to obtain a visa at all,” she says. “Also, for Western countries, the cost to obtain a visa to Africa is much cheaper than what it is for Africans—considering the value of the local currency.”

In places like Kenya, African destinations are rarely marketed to would-be travelers. Instead, there is a surfeit of packages offering holiday trips in destinations like Dubai, Bangkok, and Istanbul, because it is not only easier but also often cheaper to organize trips to these places than it is to organize trips within the continent. Even when visas are relatively easily attainable, travel from one African country to another is rife with difficulties. Sam Maundu, a Nairobi-based tour operator who runs Rosolo Safaris , which organizes trips around Africa, had no shortage of factors ready when I asked what these difficulties are: “Language barriers, visa restrictions, expensive flights, African destinations not targeting Africans to visit, long distances to be covered either by road or by flight since there are often no direct flights, security situations in some places, perception that there is nothing to see in other African countries, harassment by border officials.”

One of the lingering effects of colonialism on the continent is that interaction between African countries tends to exist along mostly colonial lines: There are the former Portuguese colonies, the former British colonies, the former French colonies. Passport holders from Kenya, which was colonized by Britain, are mostly able to go to former British colonies visa-free or with visa-on-arrival status. This means that for a person planning a trip, it becomes easier to think of traveling to these countries. On our multiple-country road trip, the travelers were mostly holders of Kenyan and Ugandan passports (Uganda, another former British colony), and so the countries that the trucks went to were all—except for Namibia—former vestiges of the British Empire. This shared history meant also that because all these countries have English as an official language, it would be relatively easy for us travelers to communicate with people there.

Samuel Agblorti is a lecturer at the Centre for Mixed Migration and Diaspora Studies of the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. I ask him about about a hypothetical trip from Cameroon to Senegal, across a region where multiple coups have happened in recent years. Safety concerns rising from these events had further entrenched visa restrictions across Africa. “Because our borders aren’t very well protected, there is a fear that allowing too many visitors will make it unsafe,” Agblorti tells me. But even getting those visitors has been a problem.

Europe is one of the biggest sources of international arrivals in Africa.

In 2016, the African Union announced plans for an AU passport to be rolled out by 2020. This passport would open travel across the continent, as more African citizens wouldn’t need visas to travel to other African countries. However, more than seven years later, the passport hasn’t been launched, stymied by a mixture of security concerns and protectionist attitudes among African states. (The AU remains silent on when and if the passport will be launched.) Still, Agblorti says such a passport would not necessarily be the panacea that its supporters think it would be as it wouldn’t automatically lead to visa-free travel without individual states implementing it. He gave the example of regional blocs such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), whose membership comprises 15 West African states whose citizens hold ECOWAS passports. “Even within ECOWAS, there are protocols that member countries are supposed to adhere to, but some of them don’t,” he says. “You may have a common passport, but if the countries don’t make extra commitments, then it doesn’t matter.”

Thus far, only a handful of African countries have committed to allowing African visitors to visit without a visa: Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles; Rwanda has announced plans to implement this. On a small scale, then, African visitors to these countries will experience the promise of the AU passport—if it does indeed come to fruition.

Most recently, in December 2023, rather than introduce the visa-free status its president had promised , Kenya announced that it would require an electronic travel authorization (ETA) , to increase revenue from visitors seeking to enter Kenya. Visa-free entry was scrapped for all but five other East African countries, and new travel requirements and fees were introduced for countries whose citizens had previously enjoyed visa-free travel into Kenya. To some, the doors of entry—rather than being flung open—were being closed even tighter.

Another issue is how expensive it is to travel in Africa. According to a 2013 World Bank report , airfare within Africa is roughly 50 percent more expensive than airfare in comparable locations worldwide. Flights from one African country to the other tend to be much more expensive than flights from Africa to Europe and Asia, despite logic that the shorter the distance, the cheaper the flight ought to be. This means, in effect, that a traveler from Kampala, Uganda, would find it more affordable, and therefore more attractive, to fly to Dubai than to Maputo, Mozambique, despite the latter being much closer than the UAE.

Tour operator Maundu told me that this makes it difficult for him to suggest to his clients travel packages that involve other African destinations: Often, it means the cost of the round-trip air tickets more than doubles the cost of the entire travel package. And there aren’t always reliable road or rail options that offer alternative transport to travelers. Most leisure travelers can’t move directly by rail from Kenya to South Africa (there is a luxury train network between Tanzania and South Africa that costs $19,000), while in most other regions of the continent, not only are there no multicountry rail options, but also existing bus networks rely on terrible roads.

The irregularity or non-availability of intra-regional air connections and of internal air transport also constrains access to internal destinations and prevents progress with multicountry tourism packages, Maundu says. Also, tax rates per passenger in Africa are more expensive than they are on other continents: The total tax per passenger is about $64, compared to $30.23 in Europe and $29.65 in the Middle East. This is exacerbated by the lack of a single unified aviation market, whose absence means that fares and tax rates swing with volatility across different parts of the continent.

Rather than negotiate with one central body, airlines operating in Africa deal with individual countries, which each usually have different rates and requirements for entry. In Europe, for instance, the establishment of the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) in 2006 decreased airfares across Europe by making possible the rise of a fleet of low-cost airlines, and at the same time increased the volume of flights within European airports. In this vein, there have been attempts to establish a single aviation market in Africa. The most recent of these attempts is the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). Announced in 2018 , the SAATM so far has signed on 34 countries. However, like the AU passport before it, the SAATM has not been implemented, and so it remains nothing but an idea.

In the meantime, African travelers continue to dream. Travel plans continue to be made. Potential destinations continue to be talked about. At the end of our seven-country road trip, as we headed back to Kenya, we spoke again about organizing future trips together, our group of strangers now bonded as friends. Some people discussed taking a trip to Uganda over the next month. Others talked about heading across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. In Lusaka, Zambia, where the first batch of travelers would leave us to fly back to Nairobi, weepy goodbyes were made. “We are family,” one of them said.

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List of airlines in africa.

In Africa there are about 33 airlines that offer commercial flights. Moreover, many smaller African airlines exist specialized in regional flights. Major low cost airlines based in Africa are Fly540, Jambojet (Kenya), FlySafair and LIFT (South Africa). Other low-cost carriers from Africa include Air Arabia Maroc, Air Arabia Egypt (subsidiaries of Air Arabia from United Arab Emirates) and FlyEgypt. Two airlines from Libya are Afriqiyah Airways and Libyan Airlines.

Last update: March 2023

– South African Express from South Africa ceased flight operations in April 2020. – Air Namibia from Namibia ceased flight operations in February 2021. – Mango (low-cost subsidiary of South African Airways) from South Africa ceased flight operations in July 2021. – Comair from South Africa ceased operations in June 2022. – kulula from South Africa ceased operations in June 2022.

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The african aviation market: an overview.

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Africa is the continent with the smallest number of air passengers annually. It accounts for roughly 2% of global traffic, including both passenger and freight. Air travel is predominantly driven by international tourism. However, with the continent's rapid growth population and income, further opportunities may arise. This is why learning more about the African market may prove valuable.

Tourism is the key driver

South Africa is a leader in terms of air passengers carried, with 25 million in 2018. Egypt closely follows it with almost 24 million and Morocco with 19 million. The gap between the three biggest markets and the rest of the countries is significant.

The fourth-largest country by passenger numbers is Algeria, with 10 million passengers. Other countries in the top ten include Tunisia, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Mauritius.

There is a clear factor driving air travel to/from Africa. And that factor is tourism. Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, and Tunisia have the most tourists from all countries on the continent. Not by accident, the same countries are the four with the highest passenger numbers.

Based on these numbers, it might come as a slight surprise that the airline with the highest market share is Ethiopian airlines (8.4%). However, it is followed by EgyptAir, Royal Air Maroc, South African Airways, and Air Algeria, which is perfectly in line with what one may expect based on both the air passenger and tourism numbers.

Popular routes

The most popular international route from/to Africa is from Cairo to Jeddah, which is not surprising, given its proximity. 1.6 million passengers traveled between these cities in 2018. The next three most popular international routes are also from Cairo and connect the Egyptian capital with middle eastern hubs of Riyadh, Kuwait, and Dubai. However, the traffic is significantly smaller than to Jeddah and ranges from 934,000 to Riadh and 795,000 to Dubai.

The most popular routes to Europe are all between the Northern African countries and France. The likely reason for the popularity of these connections from countries like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia is the African diaspora and their families in France.

Top intra-African airport international pairs are of the Zimbabwean capital of Harare and Johannesburg. Almost half a million passengers travel between these two cities annually.

The route with most passengers that takes off from the African soil is a domestic one. It connects two South African cities of Cape Town and Johanessburg. Roughly 3.5 million passengers commute between those two cities annually. That is almost ten thousand passengers daily and twice more than the most popular international route.

A challenging environment

Low passenger numbers could hint towards a challenging environment for the industry on that continent. However, over the last years, which were some of the most productive ones in the history of aviation, African airlines did not profit. In fact, they lost money. On average, an African carrier loses $1.09 per passenger. The situation is only worse in Latin America, where the airlines lose $1.65 on average.

Altogether, this simple statistic provides an excellent explanation as to why have so many African airlines faced bankruptcy so rapidly following the outbreak of the pandemic. Such unprofitability persists despite a low penetration of the low-cost carriers (LCCs). They accounted for only 12% of seat capacity within Africa in 2018, according to CAPA and OAG data. However, that is caused by some structural challenges within the industry.

What are your thoughts about the African aviation market? Will you be flying with any airlines from the continent soon? Let us know hat you think in the comment section.

• Aviation in Africa

A short roadmap to aviation in Africa

This article was originally published on January 31, 2022.

Africa’s aviation sector is building up momentum in the wake of improvements, reformations and restructurings across the continent and its air services. While Africa accounts for 17% of the world’s population, the continent’s air service activity holds a share of about 2% of the global air service market.  

Global crises have long been the catalyst for changes to air travel. During periods such as the 1985 Gulf crisis, the 2009 financial crisis, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, passenger travel either stalled or declined. However, these events were followed by increased passenger traffic and volume.  

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa’s aviation sector was notorious for its fragmented nature, which made free travel within the continent troublesome. However, as global air travel begins to recover, what is the sector’s trajectory? And will the continent’s passenger traffic flows and fleet capacity eventually hold a greater share in the global market?   

Here is AeroTime’s roadmap to understanding aviation in Africa today.   

Domestic and International Passenger Traffic  

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, global air travel has continued to make a steady recovery from the sharp decline experienced in 2020 and despite disruptions caused by the surge in Omicron cases. 

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), demand for air travel globally, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), increased to 41.6% of 2019 levels, an improvement from the 34.2% recorded for 2020. The load factor, a measure of how full planes are, stood at 67.2%, down 15.4 percentage points compared to pre-crisis levels. 

In Africa in 2021, overall air travel demand reached just 37.2% of 2019 levels, while the load factor was just 59.5%, both measures therefore performing worse than the global average. 

However, in terms of international traffic, Africa actually performed better than the global average – demand for international travel measured in RPKs was down 65% compared to 2019, while the global figure was down 75.5%. However, it should be noted that Africa only accounted for 1.5% of international air travel demand in 2021, according to the IATA data. 

If we look at December, on the other hand, IATA says Africa was the only region where international RPKs weakened in that month due to the impact of travel bans to and from several African countries after the emergence of the Omicron variant. Otherwise, all other regions of the world saw improvement in RPKs for December, boosted by people visiting friends and family over the Christmas and New Year travel period. 

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) also provides a snapshot of how Africa is performing, but in terms of passenger numbers. 

According to ICAO data , Africa saw 74 million international passengers in 2021, which gives it a 6% share of the global market, up from 4% in 2019. This correlates with the IATA data that the international air travel market in Africa, while small, has held up better than elsewhere in the world.  

Like other regions across the world, domestic traffic in Africa has recovered faster than international traffic over the course of the pandemic. 

According to ICAO, international passenger numbers in the Africa region dropped 59.5%, compared with 2019 figures, to 30 million passengers in 2021. In 2019, international passengers were 74 million, before dropping to 21 million in 2020.  

Domestic numbers were down a smaller 39.6%, versus 2019 figures, to 24 million in 2021. The number of domestic passengers stood at 41 million in 2019 and fell to 15 million in 2020.  

That means that domestic travel now accounts for a larger share of travel on the continent than before the pandemic. In 2019, domestic travel accounted for 36% of passenger traffic in the African region. In 2020, it rose to 42% and in 2021 it accounted for a 45% share of traffic, according to the ICAO data. 

The pandemic has also seen intra-regional travel – travel on routes within the continent – recover faster than inter-regional routes – ones to outside of the continent.  Inter-regional traffic accounted for a 61% share of passenger traffic in 2021, down from a 66% share in 2019. Meanwhile, the share of intra-regional traffic – ones within the continent of Africa – increased correspondingly to 39% from 34%.    

For 2022, ICAO predicts international passenger traffic in Africa will continue to recover although it will still be some way off pre-pandemic levels. It expects passenger numbers to be down by between 37.5% and 32.0% compared with 2019. Domestic traffic is expected to fall by between 21.5% and 17.0% compared with 2019. 

Fleet Orders and Deliveries 

As new airlines and flag carriers emerge in Africa, fleet orders and deliveries across the sector indicate a strong focus from airlines to bolster the continent’s regional fleet capacities. 

Plane manufacturers Airbus and Boeing estimate that more than 1,000 new aircraft will be required to meet travel demand in Africa by 2040. According to Boeing’s forecast , which was released in October 2021, the continent will operate a fleet of more than 1500 aircraft by that time.  

Over the past three years, there has been an increase in deliveries and orders of short-haul narrow-body jets. A large share of this increased fleet capacity has been recorded in West and Central Africa. 

West Africa & Central Africa 

At the Dubai Airshow in November 2021, Dakar-based Air Senegal announced that it would lease five A220-300s through Australia-based Macquarie AirFinance. Initially, the carrier made a firm order of eight A220-300s in January 2020, however, it opted to choose the leasing route to deploy its A220 fleet on routes from Dakar from 2023. 

Nigeria-based Ibom Air signed an agreement with Airbus in November 2021, to acquire 10 Airbus A220 aircraft. Ibom launched in 2019 and operates five Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft. The airline became an A220 operator in July 2021 after wet-leasing two A220s from EgyptAir. 

Lagos-based Overland Airways plans to expand its regional fleet capacity after firming an order for three Embraer 175 jets with purchase rights for three more in November 2021. Value at USD 299,4 million, the aircraft will be delivered to the operator from 2023 onwards, adding to its fleet of ATR 42, ATR 72 and Beech 1900D turboprops. 

Air Peace took delivery of two Airbus A320 aircraft in January 2022, leased from EU-based ACMI charter and cargo operator, SmartLynx Airlines. In April 2019, the airline placed a firm order for 10 Embraer E195-E2s, which was later increased to 13 aircraft with purchase rights for an additional 17 units. Air Peace became the first E2 operator in Africa after receiving the first of its E2s in the second quarter of 2020. The airline announced that it will receive all 13 aircraft on firm order by the end of 2022. Additionally, the 737 operator has 10 Boeing MAXs on order.  

Established in 2015, Nigerian start-up airline Green Africa Airways currently boasts the largest aircraft order on the continent following its 2020 announcement that it was interested in adding 50 Airbus A220-300s to its fleet while having provisionally signed for up to 100 Boeing 737 MAXs in 2019. Delivery dates for these aircraft have not yet been confirmed. 

At the Dubai Airshow in November 2021, Gabon-based Afrijet ordered three ATR 72-600s to substitute its ageing fleet of ATR 72-600s. 

In January 2021, Congo Airways, the flag carrier of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, placed a firm order for two Embraer E195-E2 regional jets, which are expected to be delivered in 2022. The agreement follows a previous order and delivery of two smaller E190-E2s delivered in Q4 2020.  

East, North and South Africa 

At the Dubai Airshow in November 2021, Dar es Salaam-based airline Air Tanzania firmed an order with Boeing to add capacity to its cargo operations as well as its short and long-haul operations. The airline announced that it would add two Boeing 737 MAXs to its fleet, as well as one Boeing 787-8 and one 767-300 freighter. 

In April 2021, Egypt-based Air Cairo took delivery of the first of two Airbus A320neos joining the airline’s all-Airbus fleet. The new A320 fleet was deployed on the airline’s regional and international network to serve destinations across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. 

EgyptAir became the first airline in Africa and the Middle East to operate both of Airbus’s A320neo and A220 aircraft in its fleet. The airline took delivery of its first A320neo in February 2020, leased through AerCap following its announcement in 2017. The agreement included eight A320neos and seven of the larger A321neos. The carrier operates eight Airbus A220 aircraft in its EgyptAir Express division. 

In November 2019, the Ghanaian government revealed an interest in adding three Boeing 787-9s and six De Havilland Dash 8-400s to its new flag carrier. In October 2020, EgyptAir signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to help relaunch the state carrier. Pressure is mounting as local firms have revealed their interest in partnering with the government to relaunch the airline. 

From a firm order of two Airbus A330-800, Entebbe-based Uganda Airlines took delivery of its first A330-800 in December 2020, and the second in February 2021. The added capacity bolsters the airline’s ambition to expand its long-haul operations. 

In January 2022, Ethiopian Airlines (EA) revealed its interest in adding five Boeing 777 freighters and additional Airbus SE A350s as the airline looks to ramp up its cargo operations. The airline’s ambition to become the leading aviation group on the continent is backed by a fleet of 131 aircraft. For its regional and domestic operations, EA operates Boeing’s 737-800, 737-700NG and Bombardier’s Q400. In February 2022, the airline will operate over 60 aircraft on its domestic and regional routes with the return of its B737 MAX 8 fleet. Ethiopian Airlines has firm orders for 25 Boeing 737 MAXs, one Boeing B737-800SF and two Bombardier Q400. 

Regulatory and Policy 

To date, 34 countries have signed up to the African Union’s Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) These are Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea (Bissau), Guinée, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tchad, Togo, Zimbabwe. 

Combined, these countries represent more than 80% of the existing aviation market in Africa.  

A majority of African airline fleet orders and deliveries coincide with states signed onto the SAATM, hinting towards increased regional capacity for intra-Africa traffic flows and air service competition between these states. 

• African Airlines
• regional routes
• Single African Sky

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Top 10 African Countries with most expensive flight costs from Nigeria 

Africa, home to over 1 billion people—or approximately 13% of the global population—faces a paradox in air travel. Despite its vast size and the significant distances between cities, intra-continental air travel remains markedly limited.   

According to IATA,  in countries like Nigeria and Ethiopia, the average person takes a return flight only once every 50 years.  

The necessity for robust air connectivity in Africa is evident.

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The continent’s inadequate East-West rail and road infrastructure, coupled with its expansive distances, shows the critical role of air transport. However, exorbitant costs and restrictive government policies have stymied sector growth.   

A recent analysis indicates that opening air transport markets between 12 African countries could potentially enhance their combined GDP by $1.3 billion. The Single African Aviation Market (SAATM), which aims to integrate 28 economies, represents a significant step towards addressing these challenges.  

Nevertheless, affordability remains a major impediment. While international airfares from Africa are relatively competitive, the high cost of domestic travel within the continent poses a severe barrier. On average, a return ticket within Africa consumes nearly seven weeks of a person’s national income—compared to less than one week’s income in Europe or North America.  

Methodology  

Nairametrics examined airfare data from various travel booking sites across the 54 African countries. Using Lagos as the departure point, we evaluated the cost of flights booked for a one-way trip about one week in advance to ensure a representative snapshot of current prices. This approach provides a comprehensive view of the financial impact on travelers and highlights the countries where air travel is particularly costly.  

In light of these findings, we present the top 10 most expensive countries to fly to within Africa by air. These destinations exemplify the substantial financial burden faced by travelers and show the pressing need for reform to make air travel more accessible and affordable across the continent.    

10. Tunisia

Arrival City: Djerba  

Economy Class Round Trip : N3.6 million($2,304)  

Business Class Round Trip : N6.2 million – N6.6million($3,968-$4,224)  

Economy Fare One Way : N1.6million($1,024)  

Business Class One Way : N3.6 million-N4.6million($2,304-$2,624)  

Flight Duration: 24hrs 55mins  

Available Flights: Tunisair, Air France  

Tunisia’s airfare is influenced by its attractive tourist destinations and limited direct flight options.  

9. Equatorial Guinea 

Arrival City: Malabo Isabel  

Economy class Round Trip -N2.7 million to N7.1 million($1,728-$4,544)  

Business Class Round Trip -N5.8 million-N9.6 million($3,712-$6,144)  

Economy Fare One Way: N1.69 million- N3 million($1,216-$1,920)  

Business Class One Way: N5.4 million –N8 million($3,456-$5,120)  

Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines, Asky Airlines, Royal Air Maroc  

Flight Duration:21hrs50mins  

Limited flight options and a remote location contribute to Equatorial Guinea’s high travel costs.

8. Tanzania

Arrival City: Arusha  

Economy Class Round Trip: N2.6 million($1,664)  

Business Class Round Trip: N/A  

Economy Fare One Way: N1.2 million – N3 million($768-$1,920)  

Business Class One Way: – N5.4 million($3,356)  

Flight Duration: 5hrs 30mins  

Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways

7. Mauritius

Arrival City: Mauritius  

Economy Class Round Trip :N2.3 million-N4.8 million($1,472-$3,072)  

Business Class Round Trip : N5.7 million-N11.6 million($3,648-$7,424)  

Economy One way : N1.5 million – N2.2 million($960-$2,994)  

Business Class One Way : N4.1 million-N4.6million($2,624-$2,944)  

Flight Duration: 11hrs  

Available Flights: Air Mauritius, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways  

Mauritius’s high airfare reflects its status as a premium travel destination and its distance from Nigeria.

Arrival City: Bujumbura  

Economy Class Round Trip: N2 million-N2.6 million($1,280-$1,664)  

Business Class Round Trip: N5.1 million- N6.3 million($3,264-$4,032)  

Economy Fare One Way: N1.2 million– N1.7 million($768-$1,008)  

Business Class One Way: N3.7 million-N4.5 million($2,368- $2,880)  

Flight Duration: 8hrs 30mins  

Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways  

Burundi’s higher airfare reflects limited direct flights and its distance from major hubs.

Arrival City: Blantyre  

Economy Class Round Trip : N1.9 million-N6.8 million($1,216-$4,352)  

Business class Round trip : N5.4 million –N8.5 million($3,456-$5,440)  

Economy Fare One Way: N1.9million($1,216)  

Business Class One Way: N4.5 million- N5million ($2,880- -$3200)  

Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines  

Flight Duration: 22hrs 45mins

Both Malawi and Morocco share a tie based on their economy class round trip fare.  

Arrival City: Agadir  

Economy Class Round Trip: N1.9 million($1,216)  

Business Class Round Trip: N5.04 million($3,225)  

Economy Fare One Way: N1.4million($896)  

Business Class One Way: N2.7million($1,728)  

Flight Duration: 9hrs 30mins  

Available Flights: Royal Air Maroc, Air France  

Morocco’s travel costs are influenced by its role as a major transit hub and its popularity.

Arrival City: Jomo Kenyatta  

Economy Class Round Trip: N1.6 million –N17 million($1,024-$10,880)  

Business Class Round Trip: N5 million-N19 million($3,200-$12,160)  

Economy One Way : N1.2 million– N1.7 million($768-$1,008)  

Flight Duration: 5hrs 55mins  

Available Flights: Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Asky Airlines, Air France  

Kenya’s costs are driven by its popularity and high-quality service from major airlines.  

3. Ethiopia

Arrival City: Addis Ababa  

Economy Class Round Trip : N1.5 million- N3 million($960-$1,920)  

Business Class Round Trip : N3million-N7.2 million($1,920-$4,608)  

Economy One Way: N1.4 million-N1.9 million($896-$1,216)  

Business Class One Way: N2.3million- N4.2 million($1,472-$2,668)  

Flight Duration: 5-11hrs  

Despite its extensive flight network, Ethiopia’s airfare remains high due to central location and demand.

2. Seychelles

Arrival City: Mahe Island  

Economy class Round Trip: N1.3 million-N4.9million($832-$3,136)  

Business Class Round Trip: N5.9 million-N10.7 million($3,776-$6,848)  

Economy Fare One Way: N1.6million($1,024)  

Business Class One Way: N4.5 million- N5.2 million ($2,880- -$3,28)  

Flight Duration: 17hrs 55mins  

Arrival City : Monrovia  

Economy Class Round Trip : N1 million-N5.6 million($640-$3,584)  

Business class Round trip : N3.5million -N4.1million($2,240-$2,624)  

Economy One Way : N2.9million– N4.7million($1,856-$3,008)  

Business Class One Way: N10.2 million-N12.5 million($6,528-$8,000)  

Available Flights: No direct flights listed; may involve multiple stops.  

 Flight Duration: 44hrs (with multiple stops)  

Liberia tops the list with extraordinarily high costs due to the scarcity of direct flights and long travel duration.  

Travel experts believe Africa’s aviation needs reform  

Speaking with Nairametrics, Goodluck Raphael, a travel consultant and founder of Kaego, a travel company, highlighted the significant impact of foreign exchange issues on the cost of air travel within Africa. He attributed these challenges to the recent floating and subsequent devaluation of the Naira by both the previous and current administrations.   

Raphael also pointed out that there are numerous hidden charges that airlines pass down to customers, such as take-off taxes, hangar fees, and counter usage charges. These additional costs contribute to the overall high cost of flying within the continent.  

 “Another factor is the issue of demand and supply,” he said. “Generally, the higher the demand, the lower the price; conversely, the lower the demand, the higher the price. The demand for intra-continental flights within Africa is relatively low due to the ingrained perception of traveling within the continent. For instance, people often ask, ‘Why would I go to Dakar when I can go to Qatar?’ or ‘Why visit Kigali when I can go to Bali?’ Most travelers prefer European or other international destinations over African ones.”    

Raphael further explained that when demand is low, competition decreases, and fewer airlines operate, leading to limited options for consumers. This lack of competition often results in monopolistic pricing, as seen with some major African airlines.   

He also pointed out that infrastructure is another significant issue. “Paved runways are essential, yet there are many infrastructure deficits across the continent, which increases costs for airlines,” Raphael noted.   

“ In some countries, check-in processes are already automated, which helps reduce operating expenses. However, airlines in Africa often have to navigate around these infrastructural challenges, which inevitably increases their operating costs, ultimately affecting ticket prices for consumers .”  

On the other hand about the high cost of fares within Africa, Olumide Ohunayo, the General Secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, explained that the issues plaguing the industry remain largely unresolved.  

He pointed out that exchange rates are a major problem for aviation in Africa, particularly because most expenses, such as aircraft maintenance, are covered in dollar-denominated terms. This creates significant financial strain on operators and limits investment in the industry, while these costs are passed down to the end users.  

According to him, “It may be cheaper to fly to France before catching a flight to Chad due to poor connectivity, which is the major issue facing Africa’s aviation industry .”  

Deborah Dan-Awoh

Deborah Dan-Awoh is a seasoned lifestyle analyst with a knack for storytelling. The focus of her work covers people, money and culture as it relates with business and economy. When she's not keeping tabs on the latest trends in lifestyle and finance- Deborah enjoys networking with industry experts to gain insight into major markets as it affects the populace

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African aviation: outlook, challenges, way forward

African aviation was born during the same period that air transport started in the rest of the world.

The first african airline, South African Airways, was established in 1934 followed by Ethiopian Airlines in 1946. Based on that, we can easily notice that this industry encountered a very slow rate of growth in its beginnings. This sluggishness was caused by the incapacity of African governments of the day to develop the aviation industry.

 But although African aviation is lagging behind the rest of the world today, we witness an incredible growth of this industry these last few years. This growth is caused by factors like: increase in the number of people that travel by air, orders of new aircraft (258 ordered aircrafts as of 2020) and the birth of new airlines.

 African airlines have a combined commercial fleet of only 740 aircrafts (at the beginning of 2020) which is less than the fleet of American Airlines, the largest US airline. Their fleet represents only 2.9% of world’s commercial fleet and accounts for only about 3% of the world’s air traffic. Most importantly, most of African airlines operate only within African countries, due to the fact that the major part of their fleet is made up of low range regional jets and turboprops. Only few airlines in Africa like Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir or Royal Air Maroc ensure a significant connectivity with the rest of the world.

The side effect of the recent growth of African aviation has led to the creation new jobs and new opportunities, making African aviation an industry with a high potential of creating new jobs. Let’s also not forget the effects of Covid19 crisis on African aviation. Like most of airlines around, African airlines have also encountered difficulties and made lots of losses during this period of crisis. Nevertheless, they surprisingly survived and got through it in a better way than the rest of airlines in the world as not many Airlines bankruptcies have been recorded in Africa. Ethiopian Airlines for example, the largest African Airline made profit thanks to cargo operations during this period of crisis.

To sum up, despite African aviation continuing to lag, It has a high potential for growth and job creation and will tremendously develop Africa as it connects the continent to the rest of the world.

CHALLENGES:

 African aviation has to overcome numerous challenges that are still dragging it behind, the first and most outstanding of them being security and safety.  Despite African aviation accounting for only 3% of the world air traffic, it makes up 19% of global incidents and  accidents. With such a low record of safety, it is difficult to gain trust of costumers and it even pushes some foreign countries to restrict their airspace to some African airlines.

 This problem of safety is caused by other challenges that African aviation has also to overcome which is the lack of qualified aviation personal for aircrafts inspections and maintenance, adequate infrastructures and most importantly the lack of reglementary monitoring. Most of African airlines don’t even have maintenance facilities in their respective countries so they usually have to take their aircrafts to Europe or America whenever a maintenance operation is required leading to extra costs.

The lack of adequate infrastructures is caused by another issue which is the lack of financial resources of African governments. Most African governments don’t have enough money to build adequate infrastructure for their airlines.

 African governments have also another role to play in the difficulties that African aviation is facing. Aviation seems not to be their top priority as the most destructive problems like corruption and misappropriation of funds are still occurring in the African aviation industry and still African governments hardly take proper actions to stop these problems.

Another big problem that African aviation is facing is the poverty of African people. Although more and more Africans have started travelling by air in recent years, their number remains very low because of poverty. The low number high income earners in Africa doesn’t allow many Africans to travel by air yet. An airline cannot make profit if it doesn’t have enough costumers, most importantly local costumers. In addition, this small number of Africans using air transport gets quickly seduced by foreign airline services leaving the few African airlines that could connect  Africa to the rest of the world at the mercy of foreign airlines when it comes to travelling to international destinations.

 Foreign airlines represent a huge obstacle for African airlines as they dominate African aviation market. New start-ups and even existing African airlines are struggling to overcome them. African governments have to take the struggles of African aviation seriously and find a way resolve them right away as air transport remains one of the key components of the development of the continent.

  Way Forward:    

By the end of the last decade, African aviation was noticeably evolving but the pandemic considerably slowed it down. Now, it has to make much more effort to recover from this slow-down and start evolving again. However, the future of African aviation depends more on solving its challenges listed above than recovering from this health crisis as the pandemic is being gradually overcome, African airlines resume operations with little changes but their main ancient problems remain still unsolved and will continue to slow them down when they will fully recover from the crisis. Demand for air transport in Africa is growing so African aviation authorities and African governments have to seriously consider to find a way to solve at least the most outstanding problems of African aviation and make it a safer way of travelling and a more profitable industry.

By Ngarnaissem Dounia Baron – 3rd place winner of the African Aviation group 5th anniversary essay competition

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A Sky-High Triple Salute: Emirates celebrates South Africa with spectacular, first-ever A380 flypast

• The low-level flypast marks three milestones for Emirates and South Africa
• The flying display celebrates the return of the second daily A380 service on the Dubai-Johannesburg route from 1 September

Johannesburg, South Africa, 1 September, 2024:  Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, takes to the skies to celebrate its longstanding and ongoing commitment to South Africa, with the country’s first ever A380 flypast. Running up the score, the remarkable low-level aerial showcase also marks Emirates’ first ever flypast in Africa and the first international airline to execute such a feat in South Africa.

Honouring its shared love for rugby with over 62,000 enthusiastic spectators, Emirates flew the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft over Emirates Airline Park, just before kick-off of the much-anticipated Springboks vs All Blacks test match. Flying at an altitude of just 500 feet above the ground, the iconic Emirates double-decker aircraft saluted rugby and aviation fans, in its latest signature livery.

The Emirates A380 took off from O.R. Tambo International Airport at 16:00, travelling at a speed of 140 kts, reaching the stadium at 16:58, perfectly timed to follow South Africa and New Zealand’s national anthems. The impressive aerial feat follows months of thorough and cross-functional planning between stakeholders including multiple teams at Emirates, South African Civil Aviation Authority, Airports Company South Africa, Emirates pilots, Flight Operation Managers and Air Traffic Controllers working together with the Emirates Lions team. The teams worked together across every element of the aerial display, taking into account air traffic patterns at different times of the day with different weather and wind conditions.

UAE National Captain Mubarak Al Mheiri, A380 Deputy Chief Pilot commanded the flight, joined by Captain Khalid Binsultan and Captain Abdalla Al Hammadi, both Technical Pilots for the Airbus A380 and Captain Richard Fiess, A380 Captain. Captain Mubarak has flown with Emirates for 19 years and has completed over 7,200 hours in the cockpit of the iconic A380. He has commanded similar flypasts for Emirates, including UAE National Day celebrations for the past four years and headlining the commercial aircraft flypast formation at the 2023 Dubai Air Show . He also participated in the iconic flight promoting Expo 2020 , which saw an A380 fly around an Emirates Cabin Crew at the very top of the Burj Khalifa; the unprecedented formation flight with the Jetman team back in 2015; and with the Red Arrows in 2022.

Afzal Parambil, Country Manager of Southern Africa, Emirates said, “Tonight’s record-setting flypast is a powerful display of our unwavering commitment to South Africa. It represents not just an achievement of technical excellence, but encapsulates our ongoing partnership with key stakeholders in South Africa, including the Civil Aviation Authority, O.R. Tambo International Airport, Emirates Lions and, of course, the strong relationship we’ve built with our customers and travel partners here over the years. For almost three decades, we’ve unlocked an array of choices for our customers, by offering an outstanding on-ground and in-flight experience coupled with seamless global connectivity, and we’re not slowing down now. We look forward to the next 30 years, and beyond, of serving South Africa and spotlighting its many attractions to the world.”

Pieter Burger, Ellis Park Stadium Managing Director , said, “The flyover has become such a pre-match entertainment staple at the iconic Emirates Airline Park. First witnessed in 1995 at the final of the international rugby showpiece where the South African national rugby team was victorious, to have had this moment tonight against the very same opposition was a thrilling experience for fans watching at the stadium and at home.

We are extremely grateful to our long-time partner Emirates who were pivotal towards the success of this project, together with all other role players involved. From a lasting memory perspective, this will certainly be up there for those who had the privilege to witness the moment.”

The flypast also marks the return of Emirates’ second A380 service on the Dubai-Johannesburg route, enhancing more customer choice and travel options with Emirates’ iconic onboard products and world-class service. EK761 departs Dubai at 04.05, landing in Johannesburg at 10:15, with the return flight, EK762, departing Johannesburg at 13.25 and touching down in Dubai at 23.45, perfectly timed for onward connections to key destinations in the Far East, Europe and the Middle East.

Emirates is one of the world’s biggest supporters of rugby. In South Africa, Emirates’ investment in the sport is headlined by its steadfast title sponsorship of the Emirates Lions, including naming rights of the team’s home stadium, Emirates Airline Park. The airline also sponsors the action-packed Cape Town Sevens, a regular fixture on the Sevens World Series calendar and one of the most popular live sporting events in South Africa, regularly drawing over 100,000 spectators.

Globally, Emirates can be found at the centre of the action from grassroots to professional leagues as the sponsor of Rugby World Cup since 2007, with prominent presence planned at the upcoming 2027 World Cup in Australia.

Firmly established as a long-term partner of South African aviation, tourism, and trade, Emirates has been serving the market for 29 years, connecting over 20 million travellers to/from South Africa with more than 140 destinations on its vast global network, via Dubai. The airline serves customers traveling to and from South Africa with 42 weekly flights to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, with additional connectivity to regional points across the country offered by its codeshare and interline partners South African Airways, Airlink, Cemair, and FlySafair.

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RC74 – Vaccination for Better Health in Africa

Remarks by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti

Amb Minata Samate Cessouma, the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development,

Dr Robert Lucien Jean-Claude Kargougou, the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene of Burkina Faso,

Honorable Ministers of Health from across the Region,

Esteemed partners, colleagues, and guests,

It is a profound honor to address you at this crucial side event, “Vaccination for Better Health in Africa: Renewed Promise, Commitment, and Investment.” 

Your presence shows our commitment to safeguarding our people’s future and ensuring every African child’s health and strength.

Since its launch in 1974, the Expanded Programme on Immunization has saved over 50 million lives across our continent by preventing childhood morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable diseases. 

These are not just numbers, but countless families spared of losing a child or more to preventable diseases. It also translates into massive savings for our Member States’ economies made from the cost of averted illnesses. 

The declaration of Africa as free from indigenous wild poliovirus in 2020 is one of the significant achievements of the immunization programme and the result of our collective efforts and steadfast commitment to immunization. 

The region has also witnessed a sharp decline in meningitis deaths by up to 39% between 2000 and 2024, while maternal and neonatal tetanus has been eliminated in 43 of the 47 Member States in our region.

Today, many countries have continued to successfully introduce new vaccines, including those for human papillomavirus (or HPV), malaria, typhoid, rotavirus, meningitis, and others, further enhancing protection for our children.

We play a crucial role in advancing the immunization agenda in the African Region as a key player in policy guidance, monitoring and disease surveillance, capacity building, and technical support to our Member States.  

With the declaration of the ongoing Mpox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, we provide guidance and technical support to national immunization technical advisory groups across the region on evidence-informed decision-making regarding vaccine use. 

In addition, we are using the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum platform to facilitate joint regulatory review of vaccine product dossiers.

However, we also have challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted routine immunization services across our region. 

The African Region is home to the most unvaccinated children globally — with an estimated 6.7 million children missing crucial vaccinations. This sobering statistic underscores the urgent need for renewed commitment and practical strategies to address this critical public health challenge.

As of 2023, coverage rates for essential vaccines such as the first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis and measles-containing vaccines remain concerning — only 83% and 70%, respectively. 

Only 16 out of 47 countries in our region have achieved the target of 90% coverage for the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis containing vaccines. Many children continue to miss out on life-saving vaccinations. 

And the growing occurrence of multiple outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases is proof of the remaining gaps in the immunisation work across our Region.

In response to these challenges, I would like to highlight some priorities. 

Firstly, it is worth recalling that the Addis Declaration on Immunization — endorsed by the African Heads of State in 2017 — serves as a guiding framework for our collective efforts to enhance vaccination programmes across the continent. The Declaration embodies our renewed commitment to ensure that all children receive the necessary vaccines.

Secondly, we must align our efforts with the Immunization Agenda 2030, which aims to achieve universal access to immunization services by ensuring that every community can access high-quality, affordable, safe, and effective vaccines. 

Thirdly, achieving these goals will require substantial investments from national governments and partners. We must prioritize funding for immunization programmes at all levels — allocating resources for vaccine procurement and strengthening healthcare infrastructure, building strong regulatory systems, building thriving ecosystems for research and innovation, training health workers, and implementing community outreach initiatives. 

This investment is critical; it will ensure that we can reach every child with life-saving vaccines and build resilient health systems capable of responding to future challenges. 

Today’s discussions will focus on key themes that require immediate attention.

Firstly, we will focus on the progress made by implementing the 10 Addis Declaration on Immunization commitments, as our Member States share their experiences of strategies to maintain high immunization coverage despite existing challenges and competing priorities.

Secondly, we will review the status of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks in our region and discuss priority outbreak response actions.

To revitalize our immunization efforts, we must work together, strengthening partnerships among governments, health organizations, and communities.

Together, we reaffirm our dedication to building a healthier future for Africa through enhanced immunization efforts.