Air transport, the awakening of Africa

If any continent truly needs air transport, it is Africa. The distances to be covered are vast, and the ground infrastructure is relatively weak and often in poor condition. An additional reason is the security situation, as the continent is still plagued by numerous internal conflicts.

I would add that Africa’s growth rate is one of the highest in the world, and its very young population is eager for progress. In short, everything is in place for air transport to find a place there like nowhere else in the world.

And yet, this sector is still far from reaching maturity. The reasons for this are numerous.

First, there is the resistance of states to opening their airspace in order to protect their national airlines.

The signed agreements are not respected, despite the triumphant declarations that mark the end of the meetings. Second, there is a glaring lack of capital.

Air transport is a major source of equity, and states, most of which own their national carriers, are reluctant to finance equipment.

And then there is the corruption that prevails in many countries, which limits the flow of money to the right places.

It must be said that until recently, failures have outnumbered successes.

Some major airlines have disappeared, notably Air Afrique, the leading multinational, which succumbed to the influence of political figures in member states.

South African Airways, the major carrier of the southern continent, filed for bankruptcy before struggling to rebuild.

Tunisair is finding it very difficult to recover, as it is managed by executives appointed by the political powers without any verification of their competence.

Many other operators have simply vanished: Air Mali, Air Gabon, Air Senegal, Air Seychelles, to name just a few. It’s a bleak picture, and yet…

Yet African air transport is recovering, and significantly so. A few leaders are driving this development.

At the forefront of these is Ethiopian Airlines, founded in 1945, built by the American company TWA to international standards, and which has always maintained its independence regardless of Ethiopia’s political changes, despite being wholly owned by the state.

Remarkably well-managed for years by several presidents, it has built a remarkable operational tool based on a « hub » strategy.

It is currently the leading carrier, expanding not only through its own operations but also by building a network of subsidiaries, of which Togo’s Asky Airlines is the flagship.

Others are also waking up, and quite strongly. This is the case with Royal Air Maroc. The company initially faced fierce competition because the country signed an Open Skies agreement with Europe, which led to a surge of European low-cost carriers.

To respond, it too created a hub between Europe and Africa in Casablanca, and after a difficult period of adjustment, it’s working.

So much so that it has significantly strengthened its fleet, which now numbers 67 aircraft, and is showing serious ambitions for transatlantic routes to the South Atlantic.

For its part, Egyptair is renewing its equipment. The oldest African airline, founded in 1932, has placed orders for 33 new aircraft.

While it is still somewhat hampered in capturing European markets by its ban on alcohol on board, things can change quickly. Even Kenya Airways, long lagging behind, is now recovering, posting a profit of $42 million, something that hadn’t happened in years, not to mention Air Algérie, which is undergoing renewal.