Kenya has selected a Chinese construction giant to carry out a $2.9 billion expansion of its main international airport, two years after a previously proposed 30-year concession deal with billionaire Gautam Adani’s company was cancelled. The government awarded China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC) an engineering, procurement, and construction contract to modernise and expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, East Africa’s busiest aviation hub, according to Bloomberg. The move follows President William Ruto’s administration scrapping a controversial plan that would have given Adani Airport Holdings a long-term concession to operate and upgrade the facility. …
Author: Nandi Biko
high stakes Foreign export banks enable African aviation through aircraft financing for carriers like Ethiopian Airlines, but these complex, state-backed deals shift substantial risk to local taxpayers when business models fail, as demonstrated by Air Sénégal. An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Kaduna Airport in Nigeria on 8 March 2017. © Afolabi Sotunde/REUTERS Published on June 10, 2026 at 08:00 am (GMT +1) When a Boeing or an Airbus lands in Addis Ababa, Nairobi or Dakar, it is often the end product of a financial chain far more complex than a simple aircraft purchase. Across the continent, investment in…
Air freighters offloading consignments The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), in partnership with RwandAir, has flagged off the expanded Nigeria–East and Southern Africa air cargo corridor, a major step in Nigeria’s practical implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The partnership expands the existing corridor by opening new export routes from Nigeria to Kigali, Rwanda; Lusaka, Zambia and Harare, Zimbabwe, while also providing Nigerian exporters with an additional carrier option on the Nairobi and Johannesburg routes. Through this arrangement, cargo rates on the routes operated by RwandAir are set at under $2 per kilogram across…
Ethiopian Airlines is preparing for another major fleet expansion as Africa’s largest carrier weighs an order for 25 new narrow-body aircraft to strengthen domestic and regional operations across the continent. The airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Mesfin Tasew Bekele, said a decision is likely within the next three months as the company evaluates competing offers from Airbus, Embraer, and Boeing, Reuters reported. Speaking on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual summit in Rio de Janeiro, Bekele said the airline is considering three aircraft models: the Airbus A220, Embraer’s E2 family, and Boeing’s 737 MAX…
Addis Ababa, June 28, 2026 (ENA)—Ethiopian Cargo has been named Best Air Cargo Carrier – Africa at the 2026 Asia Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards, earning one of the industry’s most respected honors. The award is determined through votes cast by freight forwarders, logistics professionals, and customers, reflecting the confidence of key stakeholders across the global supply chain, it was learned. The recognition underscores Ethiopian Cargo’s continued leadership in Africa’s air freight industry, driven by sustained investment in world-class cargo infrastructure, strategic global partnerships, and innovative logistics solutions. These efforts have further strengthened the airline’s ability to…
South African authorities arrested a 28-year-old man whom they caught trafficking 150 venomous scorpions through Cape Town airport, police said on Saturday.The man had concealed the live arachnids between his clothing inside his luggage, police said.His arrest on Friday followed an intelligence operation in which officers circulated his description before intercepting him at the airport.”He was arrested under the Nature and Environmental Ordinance Act, being in possession of a wild animal,” police said in a statement, without naming the man. He is expected to appear in court on Monday.Police released an image of the scorpions, which appear to be individually…
The European Parliament approved an amendment to the Euro-Mediterranean Aviation Agreement, making Croatia a full party to the liberalised framework already linking Morocco with other EU member states. Notably, the protocol, backed by 625 members of the European Parliament, adapts the aviation agreement to Croatia’s EU accession and could strengthen travel and trade links between the two countries. Croatia joins common aviation framework Under the protocol, eligible EU and Moroccan airlines will gain…
RwandAir and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment have partnered to expand the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, enabling greater export access for Nigerian businesses and reinforcing trade connections across the African continent.The collaboration will provide direct access for exports from Nigeria to Kigali, Lusaka and Harare, while also improving connectivity to Nairobi and Johannesburg through the RwandAir network.The initiative was officially launched with the inaugural flag-off of the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor. According to Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, the corridor will offer Nigerian businesses direct and affordable…
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The war in Iran is driving up jet fuel prices and worsening supply strains for African airlines, forcing carriers to review routes and raising fresh concerns about the stability of the continent’s aviation network.The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) says the crisis has exposed its heavy dependence on imported refined jet fuel, leaving airlines vulnerable to global shocks.African carriers were already paying about 17% more for jet fuel than the global average before the Iran war, according to AFRAA. The new price pressures are adding to already thin margins across the sector.“The impact is dire and a…
Cape Town International Airport has once again been crowned Africa’s best airport, extending its remarkable run to 11 consecutive years at the 2026 Skytrax World Airport Awards. Cape Town International Airport, South Africa OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa Marrakech Menara Airport, Morocco King Shaka International Airport (DUR), Durban, South Africa. Photo credit: King Shaka International Twitter Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport Cairo International Airport (Cairo, Egypt) Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU), Mauritius via blog.aci.aero Kigali International Airport (KGL), Rwanda via trekafricatours.com Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) Ivato International Airport (TNR) – Antananarivo, Madagascar. Photo Credit:…
Dike Onwuamaeze The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), in partnership with RwandAir, yesterday formally flagged off the expanded Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, which is a major step in Nigeria’s practical implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. A statement issued by the FMITI stated that through this partnership, cargo rates on the routes operated by RwandAir are set at under $2 per kilogram across five destinations, in order to reduce the cost of moving Nigerian goods into key African markets for Nigerian exporters holding an AfCFTA…
South Africa is hoping a new direct air link to Spain will deliver far more than another international flight.Tourism officials believe Air Europa’s new Johannesburg-Madrid service could increase Spanish visitor arrivals by more than 50%, while airport authorities expect the route to strengthen trade, improve cargo connectivity and reinforce Johannesburg’s position as one of Africa’s leading aviation hubs.The Spanish airline launched its first direct service between Johannesburg and Madrid on Wednesday, introducing three weekly flights that will operate more than 300 times a year and provide more than 92 000 seats annually. Through its Madrid-Barajas hub, passengers will gain access…