Kenya is primed to restore its position as East Africa’s leading aviation hub amid rising competition from rival African gateways. This comes as high operating costs, infrastructure degradation and financial pressures on airlines continue to test the sector’s resilience. Industry executives say Kenya’s ongoing reforms, airport modernisation projects and efforts to strengthen connectivity are improving the country’s prospects. However, sustaining that momentum will require significant investment across the aviation value chain. Nairobi has positioned itself as East Africa’s aviation gateway, benefiting from its strategic location and the presence of national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ), as a regional carrier linking Africa…
Author: Nandi Biko
Houston’s Bush Airport is now one of three airports authorized to screen passengers entering the United States from some African countries as the Ebola outbreak spreads. Bush Airport is joining Virginia’s Dulles International Airport and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport as the sole entry points for returning passengers who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past three weeks. “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will apply enhanced public health screening at IAD in response to the Ebola outbreak,” says…
The global aviation industry — including Africa’s rapidly growing sector — is struggling to cope with the economic fallout from the Iran war. One of the most immediate pressures comes from jet fuel costs, which make up a significant portion of airline operating expenses. Jet fuel, a kerosene‑based product refined from crude oil, is the primary fuel used by airlines. However, disruptions linked to the Iran war have caused prices to double in some markets, leading to supply shortages. “The impact is that it has affected how much African carriers purchase aviation fuel for their operations,” Dominick Andoh, managing partner of AviationGhana,…
Dike Onwuamaeze Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) has announced a new partnership with RwandAir for the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor that allows Nigerian goods quicker and affordable exports to the regional markets. FMITI said the partnership was a major expansion of Nigeria’s implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It recalled that on Africa Day 2025, it launched the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor through a partnership with Uganda Airlines, which provided Nigerian exporters with tiered and rebated rates of up to 70 per cent below those of other commercial…
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has identified access to affordable financing and fleet renewal as the biggest challenges facing Africa’s aviation industry, saying demand for air travel across the continent remains strong. Mr Keyamo spoke on Tuesday at the sidelines of the inaugural African Air Transport Conference in Lomé, Togo, where aviation stakeholders discussed ways to improve air connectivity and strengthen the sector across Africa. “The real problem of Africa is fleet renewal, access to financing. That’s the real problem of Africa,” the minister said. According to him, the continent’s airlines are struggling to compete because…
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) has announced a new partnership with RwandAir for the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, to allow Nigeria to export goods more quickly and affordably to the regional markets. On Africa Day 2025, the Ministry launched the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor through a partnership with Uganda Airlines, which provided Nigerian exporters with tiered and rebated rates of up to 70 per cent below those of other commercial carriers for goods exported to Entebbe, Uganda; Nairobi, Kenya; and Johannesburg, South Africa. In an update, the FMITI said…
Police stopped protesters from reaching Cape Town International Airport on Tuesday. The protesters, from Winnie Madikizela informal settlement, were demanding water and the use of toilets. Photo: Vincent Lali Shack dwellers from Winnie Madikizela informal settlement tried to march to Cape Town International Airport on Tuesday, to demand access to airport toilets and water. They said there were no toilets or water in the settlement. Police fired stun grenades to stop them entering airport premises. One protester said she had been hit in the buttock by a rubber bullet. The settlement is on land owned by Airports Company South Africa…
Works have begun in Ethiopia on what is set to become Africa’s biggest airport, which will change the face of air travel across the continent. Bishoftu International Airport, located about 30 miles southeast of Addis Ababa, is expected to open in 2030 with two runways and capacity for 60 million passengers a year, according to CNN. The plan is to expand that capacity to 110 million passengers, which would be more than the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, which recorded 106 million passengers in 2025. Further expansion works will also see the airport having four runways and parking for 270…
NIGERIAN exporters are reaping significant benefits from a new air cargo corridor linking the country with East and Southern Africa, with shipping costs slashed by up to 75 percent under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), according to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole. The Nigeria-East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, launched in May 2025, is delivering tangible results by eliminating expensive routing detours and reducing reliance on informal channels. In a one-year performance report released to mark the corridor’s anniversary, the minister highlighted improved competitiveness for Nigerian goods, particularly agro-processed products, cosmetics, textiles,…
Flying between African cities forces many travelers to transit outside the continent, through London, Paris or Dubai. But a $12.5 billion airport under construction in Ethiopia could help change that. Nearly 30 miles southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, works began in January on what Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali described as “the largest aviation infrastructure project in Africa’s history.” Bishoftu International Airport is scheduled to open in 2030 with two runways and capacity for 60 million passengers a year, with plans to grow to 110 million passengers — more than the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, which saw…
John F. Kennedy International Airport will become one of four airports that will screen passengers traveling from three African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak.Anyone arriving after recently visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the last 21 days will need to through aditional health checks.Travelers showing symptoms will be evaluated by CDC officials and could be transported to a hospital for further treatmentThe other airports doing screenings are Washington-Dulles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport. JFK will start screenings after 11:59 p.m. Thursday, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.…
Global air cargo demand registered a 4.0% year-on-year increase in April 2026 despite disruption stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), grew 4.0% compared with April 2025, while capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK), declined by 0.4%. International operations likewise posted a 4.0% increase in demand, even as capacity dropped by 0.9%. “Air cargo demand grew 4% year-on-year in April, driven by strong Asia-linked trade flows. But this positive news masks a more complex operating environment. Severe disruption at major…