Friday 11th September, 2026 09:37 PM|
Africa’s aviation industry is facing a paradox: millions more passengers are taking to the skies, but airlines are struggling to turn rising demand into meaningful profits.
Passenger traffic across the continent is projected to increase by 21.5 per cent to 137.3 million in 2026. However, African carriers are expected to record a profit margin of just 0.2 per cent, among the thinnest globally.
Behind the weak returns is a growing cost crisis that threatens to limit aviation’s role in driving trade, tourism, investment and regional integration.
Speaking on Friday, September 11, 2026, African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Secretary General Abderahmane Berthé said governments were holding an estimated Ksh100.2 billion in airline funds as of March 2026, money that airlines cannot readily access.
Airlines struggle with rising costs
The cash squeeze comes as carriers grapple with some of the highest aviation-related charges in the world.
Taxes, fees and charges account for between 35 and 40 per cent of African air ticket prices, compared with about 20 per cent globally, according to AFRAA.
The high cost structure threatens to undermine the benefits of a rapidly expanding passenger market, with airlines struggling to translate higher passenger numbers into stronger financial returns.
“African aviation is ready to deliver on its promise to connect our economies, move our trade, and carry the growth that this continent’s youth and enterprise are already generating. But readiness is not the same as capacity,” AFRAA Secretary General Mr Abderahmane Berthé said.
Africa faces major aviation infrastructure deficit
The infrastructure deficit is equally worrying.
Africa needs an estimated Ksh3.24 trillion to Ksh3.88 trillion in airport and air navigation infrastructure over the next decade.
Yet the continent currently receives only two per cent of global aircraft deliveries, compared with 35.6 per cent for Asia-Pacific and 24 per cent for Europe.
The shortage of aircraft and infrastructure leaves African carriers poorly positioned to capture the growing demand they are expected to serve.
The imbalance is particularly visible on long-haul routes. African airlines account for only 37.6 per cent of intercontinental capacity, meaning foreign carriers continue to dominate a significant share of international connections involving African passengers.
Airlines seek reforms to unlock growth
Operating costs are also being pushed higher by geopolitical disruptions. Conflict-related airspace closures across the Sahel are forcing carriers to take longer routes, increasing fuel consumption and other operating expenses.
AFRAA says strengthening African aviation will require governments to translate their commitments under the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) into actual market liberalisation.
The association is also calling for improved access to aircraft financing, greater investment in safety and airspace efficiency, and stronger local maintenance capacity.
There is also a major opportunity to retain more aviation spending within Africa.
African airlines spend about Ksh233 billion annually on overseas aircraft maintenance. Redirecting even part of that expenditure to maintenance facilities within Africa could create jobs, develop specialised skills and reduce the continent’s dependence on foreign aviation services.
AFRAA says its Free Route Airspace programme has already saved an estimated 5,000 tonnes of fuel annually in West and Central Africa and is being extended to Eastern and Southern Africa.
The message from the industry is therefore less about attracting passengers and more about ensuring Africa can afford to serve them.
Without reforms to taxes, infrastructure, financing, blocked funds and market access, the continent risks having the passengers but not the profitable airlines needed to connect its economies.
