A VIAT ION
AIRLINES IN AFRICA 5 MAJOR PLAYERS…
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS A Star Alliance member, South African Airways has been in operation since 1934 and flies to 57 destinations around the world. Its newest aircraft, the A330-300, was placed on the London-Johannesburg route last year.
flysaa.com
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than the rest of the world. User charges – paid by airlines and passengers for the use of aviation infrastructure – make up 11.4 per cent of airlines’ operating costs in Africa; four times that of North America. Taxes and fees are among
Taxes and fees are among the highest in the world
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES Founded in 1945, this Star Alliance carrier flies to more than 119 international destinations. The airline opened a new terminal and own-brand hotel at its Addis Ababa hub in January. The B787-9 was introduced to its fleet in 2017.
ethiopianairlines.com
the highest in the world. In Niger, US$80 from each ticket is paid to the government in fees, taxes and charges. Cameroon recently added a US$37 development tax per passenger. Te DRC charges every arriving passenger US$15 to promote tourism, while Ethiopia’s US$24 departure tax undermines the hub’s competitiveness. A further challenge for airlines in Africa is the ability
to reliably repatriate ticket revenues generated in other countries in line with international treaty obligations, Kaczynska says. Currently, ten African countries have blocked funds worth a total US$670 million. Blocking airline funds puts connectivity at risk, and invites broader economic problems. “Urgent dialogue is the first step, with creative and proactive mitigation plans following closely behind,” Kaczynska argues.
COLONIAL ROOTS Rapid economic growth is stoking demand for business travel in many sub-Saharan economies. But, according to BCD Travel’s 2019 forecast, supply is unable to respond fully, owing to regulation and high airport taxes, so regional business fares are set to increase. Many direct routes that business needs don’t yet exist and won’t any time soon. As a result, non-African carriers cover 80 per cent of the African market. While there is an increase in African →
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KENYA AIRWAYS From its Nairobi hub at Jomo Kenyatta International, Kenya Airways flies to 43 destinations in Africa and 14 outside the continent, including London Heathrow. A Skyteam member, its fleet includes the B787 Dreamliner.
kenya-airways.com
EGYPTAIR Egyptair was established in 1932 and now flies to more than 75 global destinations. Operating from Cairo International airport, the Star Alliance carrier launched a twice- weekly service to Hong Kong in September last year.
egyptair.com
RWANDAIR Rwanda’s national airline flies out of Kigali International airport to 26 cities in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, including London Gatwick. Next month, it will launch direct services to Addis Ababa, and there’s talk of flights to New York and China in the future.
rwandair.com
… AND 5 TO WATCH
GREEN AFRICA AIRWAYS This low-cost Nigerian carrier based in Lagos has not yet begun commercial operations but it has big plans. The airline recently announced a commitment to 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with the goal of building a pan-African network.
greenafrica.com
KULULA Owned by Comair, this South African budget airline connects cities including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban within South Africa. It also serves Nairobi via a codeshare with Kenya Airways, and interlines on the domestic and regional network Comair operates for British Airways.
kulula.com
JAMBOJET A subsidiary of Kenya Airways, this low-cost carrier flies from Nairobi to six Kenyan and Ugandan destinations. Founded in 2013, it will add two Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft to its fleet later this year.
jambojet.com
FLYSAFAIR Based at Johannesburg OR Tambo International, FlySafair took its maiden flight in 2014. The low-cost airline flies to seven airports in South Africa, including Cape Town and Durban, using B737 aircraft.
flysafair.com
AIR SENEGAL Senegal’s national airline flies to four African cities, including Banjul in the Gambia and Praia in Cape Verde, from its Dakar base. Not even a year old, it launched flights to Paris in February (see our feature on new airlines on page 62).
flyairsenegal.com
bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om
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