Grounded Growth: Africa’s Flight Trap
A tale of detours, disconnection, and dysfunction.
African aviation leaves neighbours feeling oceans apart. Take Lagos, Nigeria and Kinshasa in DR Congo, two of the continent’s most populous cities. A journey that should take less than four hours instead becomes a two-flight, 14 to 26-hour ordeal routed through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the far side of the continent. The cost of the ticket? Anywhere from $700 to $1,200.
Or look at the trip from Nairobi, Kenya, to Casablanca, Morocco. Major cities in two of Africa’s largest economies. On paper, it should be a straightforward continental hop. In reality, it means first leaving the African continent despite travelling within it… with connections through Paris or Doha, all for a flatteringly low fee of $950 to $1,400.
This isn’t just inefficient. It’s absurd.
Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the World
Across other parts of the globe, travel looks radically different.
Berlin to Istanbul: A direct intercontinental connection between Europe and Turkey, the gateway to Asia, costs as little as $170.
New York to Los Angeles: 3,973km, over 1,000km longer than the trip from Lagos to Kinshasa, yet a direct flight between the two American hubs starts at $230 per ticket.
These aren’t anomalies, they’re the baseline. While the world builds aviation networks prioritizing connectivity, scale, and affordability, Africa has done the opposite, showcasing self-inflicted isolation at its finest.
A Vicious Cycle in the Sky
The barriers grounding African flight aren’t random or bad luck; they’re structural:
Protectionism
Competition remains thin, and African airlines are free to inflate fares however they choose. Budget carriers are few to none, and where they do exist, are far too small to make a dent against major carriers. Travellers have no truly low-cost alternative and no choice but to pay.
Thin Demand, Thinner Networks
First, the pricing issue, then there’s scale. Few Africans can afford to fly (no thanks to the already sky-high prices), keeping route offerings a low priority for airlines. Despite being home to more than 18% of the world’s population, Africa accounts for just 2% of global air travel. African flights also operate at around 76% capacity on average, the lowest of any region globally.
Invisible Borders
Then there’s the borders you can’t see. Only 28% of intra-African travel scenarios are visa-free, and just six of the continent’s 54 countries waive visas entirely for other Africans. Bureaucracy turns African travel into a test of patience and wallet size. For many, travelling to a neighbouring country is simply more work than it’s worth. Unsurprisingly, African travellers fly outside the continent far more than within it. In 2023, only 28% of flights operated by African airlines were to other African countries. For context, 80% of flights by European airlines occurred within Europe
The Cost of Borders in the Sky
Every overpriced ticket is a tax on opportunity. Business leaders waste days in transit. Tourists skip African destinations for easier trips elsewhere. Students and workers find it simpler to migrate to Europe or North America than to circulate within the continent.
This disconnection is expensive. It holds back trade, weakens tourism, and slows the flow of ideas and capital that drive growth. How can Africa integrate when its skies keep it apart?
The Future of African Skies
Africa doesn’t need another promise of integration. It needs movement that is real, visible, and affordable. Planes that take off. Routes that make sense. Prices that make travel possible.
Opening African Skies
Twenty-six years since the Yamoussoukro Decision, and seven years since the founding of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), Africa still flies as if it were 1975. Governments keep their national carriers on life support, mistaking protectionism for pride. Air freedom requires competition.
Investment in Real Hubs
Many believe infrastructure is Africa’s main limitation, and while this may be true to an extent, the real challenge is design (or the lack thereof). Every country wants its own hub, so none scales. Nairobi, Lagos, Addis, Johannesburg: Pick a few and build around them. Create networks that prioritize connecting Africans across Africa, not Africans to Europe.
Tearing Down Visa Walls
Integration remains a myth if people can’t move. Visas are the silent killers of trade, tourism, and trust. Free movement must become a baseline requirement, not a political headline.
Backing Carriers Built for the Continent
National airlines are vanity projects that stamp national flags on aircraft tails. Africa needs airlines that think regionally, move fast, and price for volume. Stop protecting the old guard and back the visionary carriers that see 1.4 billion people as a market worth serving.
Making Travel Feel African
Digital borders, shared infrastructure, and seamless entry should make crossing Africa comparable to crossing provinces. The world’s youngest continent deserves a sky network that reflects its ambition, not its dysfunction.
Until then, Africa will keep exporting opportunity and talent through its own airports, grounding its growth potential one flight at a time.