Unveiled by Airbus, the new study pinpoints untapped flight paths in Africa that could drive growth in air travel
Airbus, a global leader in aerospace and aviation, has released an analysis detailing several key unserved African routes with high potential for economic and connectivity benefits. The report, which focuses on intra-African routes, highlights city pairs between major hubs and secondary cities where demand for air travel is growing but direct air service is limited or lacking.
According to Geert Lemaire, Market Intelligence and Consulting Director at Airbus, certain city-pairs have significant traffic but lack regularly scheduled non-stop flights. These routes, if served, could generate potential for enhanced trade, tourism, and business travel, and airlines would stand to gain from increased traffic and new revenue while improving regional connectivity.
Common examples in Airbus and African aviation studies often involve routes like:
- Lagos (Nigeria) to Accra (Ghana)
- Lagos to Douala (Cameroon)
- Nairobi (Kenya) to Lagos (Nigeria)
- Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to Lagos or Accra
- Johannesburg (South Africa) to Nairobi or Lagos
- Casablanca (Morocco) to other West African capitals like Dakar (Senegal)
The growth of the aviation sector in Africa is ratified by data from Airbus' Global Services Forecast. The forecast predicts a 4.1% overall growth in air traffic over the next 20 years, which is well above the 2.6% global average. This growth is expected to result in a surge in air travel demand, necessitating additional workforce in the aviation sector.
Airbus is committed to partnering with airlines across Africa to identify optimized fleet solutions in line with network development requirements. The company also discusses strategic recommendations to capitalize on the opportunities of a more connected African continent. However, factors such as restrictive bilateral air service agreements, economic variables, and challenges with capacity, frequency, and operating cost efficiency contribute to these routes remaining unserved.
The anticipated need for new aircraft by 2043 is 1,180, and Airbus estimates that Africa will need to introduce 15,000 more pilots, 24,000 cabin crew, and 20,000 technicians to meet this demand. Airbus' efforts aim to stimulate the growth of the African air transport industry and improve connectivity for travelers.
Unfortunately, the search results available here do not provide Airbus's explicitly identified route list. For precise details, the original Airbus market analysis reports or press releases would need to be consulted.
Travelers seeking to explore Africa might find it advantageous to consider routes like Lagos (Nigeria) to Accra (Ghana), Nairobi (Kenya) to Lagos (Nigeria), or Johannesburg (South Africa) to Nairobi or Lagos, as these city-pairs, while often unserved, present opportunities for enhanced trade, tourism, and business travel due to growing demand for air travel and full potential for economic and connectivity benefits. Such a lifestyle, centered around exploration and discovery within Africa, could be facilitated by the anticipated growth in the aviation sector and the need for additional workforce in the industry.
