Pan-African airline consolidation will ease travel in continent
Opinion
By
Nicanor Sabula
| Aug 26, 2025
Flying between Africa's major cities remains a frustrating experience for millions of travellers. Despite being home to over a billion people across a landmass three times larger than Europe, the continent's air transport network remains fragmented and inefficient.
The statistics paint a stark picture of Africa's aviation underperformance. While the continent represents approximately 17 per cent of the global population, its air transport accounts for less than 3 per cent of worldwide traffic.
This disparity becomes more apparent when examining inter-regional travel. Only 7 out of the 54 countries on the African continent offer direct flights to more than 20 other African nations. While Northern Africa enjoys relatively strong links with a connectivity rate of 67 per cent, inter-regional connections are weak, just 35 per cent between Northern and Western Africa, and as low as 3 per cent between Western and Southern Africa.
The connectivity crisis extends beyond major hubs. Travellers seeking to fly between Nairobi and Dakar face limited options, with no direct flights currently available. Similarly, there are no non-stop flights between Algiers and Kinshasa, nor can passengers reach Johannesburg from Casablanca without changing planes. These routing inefficiencies force travellers to make awkward stopovers in the Middle East or Europe, adding hours to journeys that should be straightforward regional connections.
Consolidation of African airlines presents a viable solution to these inefficiencies. The continent's aviation industry is plagued by high operational costs, with fuel, leasing, and financing expenses often exceeding those in other global regions. By pooling resources, harmonising operations, and building joint route networks, African carriers can achieve the scale and efficiency needed to expand direct intra-regional services.
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Africa previously attempted continental aviation unity through Air Afrique, founded by 11 West African nations in 1961. Based in Abidjan, this pan-continental carrier transported hundreds of thousands of passengers annually as an economic development tool. However, Air Afrique collapsed in 2002 due to financial problems and competing shareholder interests, with routes going to Air France and other international carriers. This failure highlighted the complexities of multinational airline ventures and the need for stronger governance structures.
The Strategic Partnership Framework signed between Kenya Airways and SAA in November 2021 initially represented a promising approach to pan-African aviation consolidation. This collaboration, supported by both governments, was designed to focus on shared services including route networks, fleet deployment, and technical maintenance operations to achieve cost savings for both carriers.
A pan-African airline alliance aligns with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement objectives of creating a single market for goods and services. Enhanced connectivity would facilitate business mobility, cultural exchange, and economic integration across the continent. However, the fundamental need for such partnerships remains more pressing than ever. The continent's young, rapidly urbanising population, growing middle class and projected traffic doubling within 20 years present significant growth opportunities that cannot be fully realised through fragmented, competing airlines.
For consolidation to succeed, it must transcend mere corporate restructuring to address regulatory harmonisation, infrastructure development, and diplomatic cooperation. KQ's pursuit of partnerships with other African airlines is essential for Africa's aviation success.
Mr Sabula is CEO of Kenya Association of Travel Agents