AFRICA BY BOB PAPWORTH
John Grant, senior analyst at aviation data giant OAG, says: “In most emergent markets, significant progress has been made in embracing new airline business models, and breaking through some of the more archaic regulations and operating environments that had previously existed. “Unfortunately, while capacity has been
growing in recent years in selected markets, Africa as a continent continues to struggle to fulfil its greater potential as legacy prac- tices and regulatory processes continue to frustrate commercial opportunities.” He adds: “Recent analysis we undertook
at OAG highlights that many of the major capital cities in Africa remain unconnected, with only indirect routings possible, which reflects some of the historic colonial market structures and links. However, in a faster- moving world of trade and commerce those markets should be served and this highlights the frustrating nature of African aviation.” Older Africa hands will recall the heyday of the likes of France’s Union de Transports Aériens (UTA), which linked Europe with up to 25 points in west and central Africa, and Côte d’Ivoire-based Air Afrique, which linked 22 francophone African destinations, and whose state shareholders included Benin and Burkina Faso, Senegal and Sierra Leone, among others.
Easyjet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioan-
nou’s ambition of reviving the pan-African concept, in the form of Fastjet, has made only limited progress to date. As OAG’s Grant says: “There are some
remarkable success stories in Africa – Ethiopian Airways, for instance, appears to have a larger share of the Africa-China market than Emirates. “Sadly, those examples are the exception to the rule and current market conditions, carrier performance and external factors outside an airline’s direct control make trading very difficult for many.” He concludes: “With higher-than-
average population growth, increasing disposable incomes and growing com- mercial opportunities, the frustrations of previous attempts at grasping the oppor- tunity have to be overcome in the next few years.”
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
“Market conditions, carrier performance and external factors outside an airline’s direct control make trading very difficult for many”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
— Travellers must be clear they should never pay bribes, no matter how ‘official’ the demand appears to be. Corporates should use reputable ground transport companies (not taxis) whose drivers are trained to deal with such situations.
— Avoid airlines that are banned by the European Union and, given the near-inevitability of delays and cancellations – and the fact that international and domestic terminals are often miles apart – allow plenty of time for flight connections.
— Ensure that the services offered by global TMCs’ affiliates and/or joint ventures are fully consistent with those offered by the ‘parent’ company, and that local TMCs can and do pass data to third- party suppliers, such as traveller security vendors.
— Check and re-check that travellers meet all the relevant visa and health requirements, and ensure they are fully aware of the challenges – including, in some cases, curfews – that they may face at their destination.
IN NEED OF AN UPGRADE Within Africa, rail travel isn’t much of an option either. The
infrastructureafrica.org website, backed by the ADB, says: “Al- though an extensive rail system based in southern Africa reaches up from Durban as far as the Democratic Republic of Congo and East Africa, most of the subcontinent’s railways are disconnected lines reach- ing inland from ports and serving small markets by modern railway standards. “Most networks outside South Africa still operate with their original facilities, with little upgrading. They are ill-suited to modern requirements. “Many structures and some of the tracks
are now more than 100 years old. Long sections of track on most rail systems need repair or replacement. In some systems, major sections are not in operation and require rehabilitation before operations can resume. Even where there is service, poor track conditions force speed restrictions.” It gets worse. Given the lack or air
and rail connectivity, road travel would seem to be the obvious alternative for the corporate traveller with places to go and people to see, but that turns out to perilous in the extreme. According to recent data from the
World Heath Organisation, the UK re- corded 2.9 deaths as a result of road traffic accidents per 100,000 head of population in 2013. In Malawi, the figure was 35 deaths per 100,000 head of population, and the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania all recorded more than 30.
JOIN THE QUEUE While getting around can range from dif- ficult to dangerous, finding somewhere to stay is often an easier matter – international chains are queuing up to operate hotels across the continent. The Rezidor Hotel Group (which at the time of going to press was subject to a take- over by Beijing-based HNA Tourism Group as part of the latter’s acquisition of Carlson Hotels) has long been a major player in Africa and has recently opened Radisson
BBT JULY/AUGUST 2016 77
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