The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) > Aviation Industry
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Pratt & Whitney Congratulates Air France on Receiving First Airbus A220, Powered by GTF Engines

       

PARIS, September 29, 2021 – The Air France-KLM Group today at Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport celebrated the arrival of Air France’s first A220-300 aircraft. The airline finalized an order in February 2021 for more than 120 GTF engines for a fleet of 60 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, powered exclusively by Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines.

“It is exciting to welcome our first GTF-powered Airbus A220 to our fleet,” said Angus Clarke, Air France Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for Fleet Strategy. “These state-of-the-art engines will provide significant economic and operational benefits to our company, while providing far lower noise and carbon emissions to better serve our customers, communities and planet.”

Air France and Pratt & Whitney have a long history that dates to the Douglas DC-3 with Wasp engines in the 1940s and the Boeing 707 with JT3D engines in the 1960s. Today the airline operates several aircraft equipped with auxiliary power units (APUs) from Pratt & Whitney, including the Airbus A320ceo family, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and Embraer E-Jets.

“We’d like to welcome Air France back to the Pratt & Whitney engine family with their new GTF-powered aircraft,” said Rick Deurloo, chief commercial officer at Pratt & Whitney. “Pratt & Whitney has powered the growth of Air France in different capacities for the past 75 years, and we can’t wait to help Air France write the next successful chapter in quieter, more sustainable aviation.”

To date GTF engines have saved European operators nearly half a billion liters of fuel and more than a million metric tonnes of carbon emissions. In Europe alone, GTF-powered aircraft have carried more than 70 million passengers over more than 570,000 flights.

The A220, powered exclusively by GTF engines, offers significantly lower operating costs compared to previous generation aircraft. The engines deliver double-digit improvements in fuel and carbon emissions. They also provide a 75% reduction in noise footprint, based on a 75 dB noise contour, and produce NOx emissions 50% below the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) CAEP/6 regulation.

About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines, and auxiliary power units. To learn more, visit www.prattwhitney.com.

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Pratt & Whitney Awarded Funding by FAA for $50M Effort to Further Develop Sustainable Propulsion Technologies

East Hartford, Conn., September 20, 2021 – Pratt & Whitney and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investing $50 million to develop an ultra-quiet engine fan and advanced combustion technology designed to reduce noise, emissions, and fuel consumption as part of the third phase of the FAA’s Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN III) initiative. Pratt & Whitney has been an FAA partner since the program’s inception in 2010.

Pratt & Whitney will match the FAA’s $25 million funding for the development of technologies that will continue to make jet engines more fuel efficient, leading to lower emissions, and helping make air travel more sustainable. Pratt & Whitney ushered in a new era of commercial propulsion with the introduction of the Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine for single-aisle aircraft in 2016. Since its introduction in 2016, the GTF family of engines has helped 54 operators save more than 500 million gallons of jet fuel and avoid 4.9 million metric tonnes of CO2 over 9.3 million flight hours.

“We are honored to continue to partner with the FAA to explore advanced engine technologies and deliver additional significant fuel savings and environmental benefits. This third award is a result of our proven track record over the last 11 years, working on FAA CLEEN I and II strategies and deliverables,” said Frank Preli, vice president of propulsion and materials technologies at Pratt & Whitney.

Previous CLEEN awards in 2010 and 2015 supported the development of an ultra-low fan pressure ratio engine coupled with a short inlet, as well as compressor and turbine technologies that build upon the company’s revolutionary geared engine architecture. Pratt & Whitney will use these advancements as a base to drive even higher efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions in its GTF engines.

“Our GTF engines already offer the highest efficiency and lowest CO2 emissions for single-aisle aircraft – with a dramatically smaller noise footprint,” said Tom Pelland, senior vice president of GTF engines at Pratt & Whitney. “Today’s FAA CLEEN III award will help us build on that success and aligns with our focus on driving sustainable solutions for our customers and the industry.”

 

About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines, and auxiliary power units. To learn more, visit www.prattwhitney.com. To receive press releases and other news directly, please sign up here. For further information: media@prattwhitney.com, +1 860-565-9600.

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Zela Aviation and Precision Air Strategic Agreement

Zela Aviation is adding another significant deal to its portfolio, announcing its strategic partnership with Precision Air, one of Tanzania-based most dynamic airlines.

During a challenging time for the aviation sector, this agreement reaffirms the trust and credibility that Zela Aviation enjoys internationally.

The agreement, signed on August 25, 2021, at Precision Air’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam, provides for the mediation of Zela Aviation, which will act as the General Representative for leasing Precision Air’s aircraft, crews, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) to other airlines.

During the signing of the contract, Precision Air’s Managing Director and CEO, Mr Patrick Mwanri, stated: “We are excited to begin this new venture; the aviation industry is witnessing many changes and challenges since the pandemic; therefore, as a business, we have no option than to be agile”.

Mr Mwanri added – Precision Air’s partnership with Zela Aviation will enable the optimum utilization of their aircraft, as they are currently not fully utilized due to decreased demand in travel. The cooperation will most importantly provide a source of ancillary revenues during the low season.

On his side, Zela Aviation Chairman, Mr Andreas Christodoulides, said they are thrilled to sign a GSA contract with a reputable Airline as Precision Air. He added that Precision Air is known for professionalism and is one of the airlines upholding high standards in Tanzania and the surrounding region.

“We will work closely with Precision Air to see this partnership is fruitful and both sides achieve their business goals”, he concluded.

Zela Aviation

Zela Aviation has been active in the field of aircraft chartering and sales for the last sixteen years. It holds offices in Limassol, Athens and London, and provides services in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. Its leading position, dynamic operation throughout the years, and well-trained staff make Zela Aviation a solid and reliable partner in international aviation.

Precision Air

Precision Air is a majority-owned Tanzania company. It offers scheduled flights from its central hub, Dar es Salaam to Arusha, Bukoba, Dodoma, Kahama, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Mtwara Mwanza, Zanzibar and Nairobi. Apart from scheduled commercial flights, Precision Air offers charter services, third part Maintenance services through its Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO), Parcel Services, and Cargo Services.

 

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Capacity Building Workshop on the Yamoussoukro Decision Institutional and Regulatory Texts for African Airlines, 29th to 30th September 2021

The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), is organizing a Capacity Building Workshop on dissemination of the Yamoussoukro Decision Regulatory texts dedicated to African Airlines. The Workshop, which will be in virtual format on Zoom platform and hosted by AFRAA Secretariat from 29th  to 30th  September 2021, is in response to the Decision establishing the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), a critical AU Agenda 2063 flagship project [Assembly/AU/Dec.665 (XXX)]. The Decision requests the AUC to undertake Capacity Building of Member States, RECs, and other key aviation stakeholders on the application of Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) institutional and regulatory Texts.

The YD instruments which also constitute the regulatory framework of the SAATM, are: (i) Powers and Functions of the Executing Agency (EA), (ii) Competition Regulations, (iii) Consumer protection Regulations, and (iv) Dispute Settlement Mechanism, which is currently at advanced stage of elaboration. The workshop is open to all African Airlines including those which are not yet members of AFRAA in order to ensure wider dissemination on YD regulatory texts and the benefits of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).

In view of the aforesaid, we would like to kindly invite you to nominate two experts involved in the implementation of air transport regulations and confirm their participation in the workshop by registering at your earliest convenience through this link:https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LOMwwU0MSMGpKglZiSN8nA

Concept Note
The 30th Ordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly of Heads of States and Government summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2018 adopted the Institutional and Regulatory Instruments of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD). The adopted Texts being the Powers and Functions of the Executing Agency (EA), Competition Rules and Consumer Protection Regulations. The Dispute Settlement Mechanism is under further elaboration.

Download the full concept note here: Concept Note

Agenda
The proposed agenda can be downloaded from think link: Proposed Agenda

For more information or further assistance, please contact Mr. Blaise Muyanda (bmuyanda@afraa.org)

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ROLLS-ROYCE’S ALL-ELECTRIC ‘SPIRIT OF INNOVATION’ TAKES TO THE SKIES FOR THE FIRST TIME

15 September 2021 We are pleased to announce the completion of the first flight of our all-electric ‘Spirit of Innovation’ aircraft. At 14:56 (BST) the plane took to the skies propelled by its powerful 400kW (500+hp) electric power train with the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft. This is another step towards the plane’s world-record attempt and another milestone on the aviation industry’s journey towards decarbonisation.

Warren East, CEO, Rolls-Royce, said: “The first flight of the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ is a great achievement for the ACCEL team and Rolls-Royce. We are focused on producing the technology breakthroughs society needs to decarbonise transport across air, land and sea, and capture the economic opportunity of the transition to net zero. This is not only about breaking a world record; the advanced battery and propulsion technology developed for this programme has exciting applications for the Urban Air Mobility market and can help make ‘jet zero’ a reality.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The first flight of Rolls-Royce’s revolutionary Spirit of Innovation aircraft signals a huge step forward in the global transition to cleaner forms of flight. This achievement, and the records we hope will follow, shows the UK remains right at the forefront of aerospace innovation.

“By backing projects like this one, the Government is helping to drive forward the boundary pushing technologies that will leverage investment and unlock the cleaner, greener aircraft required to end our contribution to climate change.”

The aircraft took off from the UK Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down site, which is managed by QinetiQ and flew for approximately 15 minutes. The site has a long heritage of experimental flights and the first flight marks the beginning of an intense flight-testing phase in which we will be collecting valuable performance data on the aircraft’s electrical power and propulsion system. The ACCEL programme, short for ‘Accelerating the Electrification of Flight’ includes key partners YASA, the electric motor and controller manufacturer, and aviation start-up Electroflight. The ACCEL team have continued to innovate while adhering to the UK Government’s social distancing and other health guidelines.

Half of the project’s funding is provided by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Innovate UK. In the run up to COP26, the ACCEL programme is further evidence of the UK’s position at the forefront of the zero-emission aircraft revolution.

“The first flight of the Spirit of Innovation demonstrates how innovative technology can provide solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges,” said Gary Elliott, CEO, Aerospace Technology Institute. “The ATI is funding projects like ACCEL to help UK develop new capabilities and secure a lead in the technologies that will decarbonise aviation. We congratulate everyone who has worked on the ACCEL project to make the first flight a reality and look forward to the world speed record attempt which will capture the imagination of the public in the year that the UK hosts COP26.”

Rolls-Royce is offering our customers a complete electric propulsion system for their platform, whether that is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) or commuter aircraft. We will be using the technology from the ACCEL project and applying it to products for these exciting new markets. The characteristics that ‘air-taxis’ require from batteries are very similar to what is being developed for the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ so that it can reach speeds of 300+ MPH (480+ KMH) – which we are targeting in our world record attempt. In addition, Rolls-Royce and airframer Tecnam are currently working with Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, to deliver an all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market, which is planned to be ready for revenue service in 2026.

In June, we announced our pathway to net zero carbon emissions – a year on from joining the UN Race to Zero campaign – and the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ is one way in which we are helping decarbonise the critical parts of the global economy in which we operate. We are committed to ensuring our new products will be compatible with net zero operation by 2030 and all our products will be compatible with net zero by 2050.

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AIRLINK CONFIRMS SELECTION OF ROLLS-ROYCE TOTALCARE® FOR ENGINE SERVICING

TotalCare® chosen for maintenance of AE3007-powered aircraft

10 September 2021 Rolls-Royce and Airlink have signed a TotalCare® service agreement for the AE3007 engines that power the South African airline’s fleet of Embraer ERJ135 aircraft. The agreement, which covers 28 aircraft, is an extension of service for a further 10 years, continuing the airline’s drive to maximise aircraft availability.

Airlink CEO, Rodger Foster, said; “Airlink and Rolls-Royce have worked hand in hand since the introduction of the ERJ135 to our fleet in May 2001. We operate 28 ERJs with a pool of 64 AE3007-A1/3 engines. We are proud of the phenomenal reliability we have achieved from these engines which have underpinned Airlink’s industry leading on-time performance, which has consistently been above 97%. Our TotalCare service agreement has been key to the management of engine maintenance costs and to ensuring the economic sustainability of the ERJ135 type for the foreseeable future. We are delighted at the dependability of the Rolls-Royce team and their engines.”

In 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Airlink carried more than 2 million customers on more than 63,000 flights. Airlink currently operates a reduced route network to more than 45 destinations in 12 African countries, whilst remaining agile to the effects of Covid-19 and associated travel restrictions. Airlink was proudly the most punctual South African airline for 2020; its year-to-date performance up to August 2021 has been 98.1% on-time.

“Our partnership with Airlink goes back to 2001 and this TotalCare extension is a testament to our strong working relationship and mutual trust of one another,” said Stewart Evans, Rolls-Royce, Vice President, Customers Europe Middle East & Africa, “I’m especially proud of the way both teams have worked closely together during the pandemic to manage maintenance costs effectively for both parties whilst enhancing our service offering at the same time. The entire team at Rolls-Royce is honoured to be able to serve Airlink and their customers for many more years to come.”

TotalCare is the flagship integrated engine service cover provided by Rolls-Royce. It is designed for predictive maintenance planning, as well as off-wing repair and overhaul activities for operators of Rolls-Royce aero engines. TotalCare transfers both time-on-wing and maintenance cost risks back to Rolls-Royce, as well as offering advanced engine health monitoring and future product enhancements.

Aircraft covered by TotalCare achieve higher availability, increased long-term residual values, and benefit from the global Rolls-Royce Care Network; a large, capable and competitive engine service network that caters for the needs of engines at every point in their life cycle.

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Rwandair adds Two New Routes in DRC to its Network

Kigali, 13 September, 2021 RwandAir continues its recovery from the pandemic by adding additional routes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( from September. As of September 29, the Rwandan flag carrier is to launch new twice weekly services to both Lubumbashi, the DRC’s mining capital, and Goma capital of North Kivu province, on the shore of Lake Kivu on 15 October 2021.

Customers will be able to book directly through rwandair.com and fly on the airline’s regional Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft, which offers seating in both Economy and Business Class, with a De Havilland Dash 8 also operating to Goma.

Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said “RwandAir ’s new twice weekly services to Lubumbashi and Goma will add more choice and flexibility for customers flying to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“We believe these new routes will be extremely popular with RwandAir customers and increase
both diplomatic and commercial links between the DRC and Rwanda.

“RwandAir is always looking for new markets to propel the airline’s network and enhance the
choice o f destinations and routes, not only across sub Saharan Africa, but also to longer haul
destinations.

“We hope to announce further new routes in due course to ensure we meet the demands of our
customers and continue to provide top flight destinations.”

RwandAir ’s first destination in DRC was Kinshasa in April 2019, with these two new services
tripling available capacity to the country.

Services to Lubumbashi will depart Kigali every Monday and Wednesday, as WB264 at 10:10 am arrives at 12:10 pm. The returning WB265, departs Lubumbashi at 5:00 pm, arriving back into Kigali at 7:00 pm.

Flights to Goma will also depart Kigali every Monday and Wednesday, as WB266 at 12:40 pm arrives at 1:20 pm. The returning WB267, departs Goma at 1:50 pm, arriving back into Kigali at 2:30 pm.

Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and represents the main industrial center for the mining district of southeastern Congo.

It acts as a hub for high volumes of the country’s largest mining companies, making it a hot spot for business travelers and is also home of the famous Simba Brewery, where the world renowned Tembo beer is produced.

Goma lies a few miles south of the active Nyiragongo Volcano, close to the border with Rwanda, on the shore of Lake Kivu, the largest lava in the world. The city is a great gateway to nearby wildlife, including Virunga National Park.

Book your flight now via rwandair.com

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Media Release: African airlines’ performance updates by AFRAA – August 2021

In the month of August 2021, air passenger traffic reached 46.8% compared to same month in 2019 while capacity was at 54.6%.

Domestic markets across Africa recorded a slight reduction in passenger demand although still outperforming intra-Africa and intercontinental traffic. Domestic traffic for the month under review was 58.9% compared to 22.7% for intra-Africa and 18.4% for intercontinental. On passenger capacity (seats offered), domestic, intra-Africa and intercontinental accounted for 46.5%, 26.8% and 26.7% respectively.

Globally, the COVID 19 cases continue to rise despite the fact that 24.6% of the world’s population has been vaccinated. In Africa, just about 1.85% of the population has been fully vaccinated according to data available on the Africa CDC website. The Delta variant which is the source of recent infections is not sparing younger people either. The result is an increase in the number of younger people and children infected by the COV2 virus. In Africa, the number of deaths continues to rise while vaccination is progressing at a snail pace, thus causing concerns among the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors on recovery. Worldwide, the numbers of infected cases reached 200 million of which 7 million are in Africa. The global recovery rate stands at 97.7% compared to 97.3% in Africa.

Re-start of operations on intercontinental routes by African airlines reached 77.8% in August 2021, though frequency and capacity remained constrained. This represents a month-on-month increase in intercontinental operations of 3.1%. Airlines which added new intercontinental routes to their operations in August include: Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc and Kenya Airways. It is worth noting that, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Royal air Maroc and RwandAir now operate to about 90% of their pre-COVID intercontinental destinations.

As previously reported, Mauritius remains the most impacted intra-Africa air travel destination in spite of the resumption of international flights in July. Abidjan and Dakar airports slightly exceeded their pre-COVID level of flights connectivity with other cities. Passenger arrivals and departures however remain depressed for both airports.

General passenger traffic continues to be low across Africa due to the ravaging impact of COVID-19, inconsistencies in the messaging regarding border closures and failure to align health protocols in some countries and across regions.

Full year revenue loss for African airlines in 2021 according to AFRAA is forecast at US$8.2b, approximately 47.2% of the full year 2019 airlines’ revenue. In 2020, African airlines made a cumulative loss of $10.21b, representing 58.8% of 2019 revenues. The poor revenue performance coupled with slow response to calls for support to African aviation and tourism sectors by governments and DFIs is a major threat to the survival of the African aviation industry. Governments should heed the calls by the African Union, AFCAC, AFRAA and other organizations to provide financial relief and support to the industry players most impacted by Covid-19 to avoid the collapse of the aviation industry.

Other related industry developments:

  • Victoria Falls and Kazungula (linking Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and to a lesser extent Namibia) border posts were opened for fully vaccinated tourists in a move aimed at reviving the tourism sector.
  • The United Arab Emirates National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) announced lifting of the transit flight ban imposed by UAE in some countries including India, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Uganda, effective 05 August 2021.
  • On 28 July, the UK Government announced latest policy review of its “traffic light” system stating that effective 02 August 2021, arrivals to the UK with a DCC (EU digital COVID certificate) or a US Vaccine Certificate (paper) can enter the United Kingdom without quarantine.

 About AFRAA

The African Airlines Association, also known by its acronym AFRAA, is a trade association of airlines from the member states of the African Union (AU). Founded in Accra, Ghana, in April 1968, and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, AFRAA’s mission is to promote, serve African Airlines and champion Africa’s aviation industry. The Association envisions a sustainable, interconnected and affordable Air Transport industry in Africa where African Airlines become key players and drivers to African economic development.

AFRAA membership of 46 airlines cuts across the entire continent and includes all the major intercontinental African operators. The Association members represent over 85% of total international traffic carried by African airlines. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

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RwandAir and Qatar Airways join forces to give customers greater choice over combined networks

KIGALI, 2 August, 2021 – RwandAir customers will be able to explore even more of the world following its new partnership with Qatar Airways via their hubs at Kigali and Doha.

As part of the strategic partnership, the extensive interline agreement will give customers access to the networks of both airlines, providing a seamless travel experience and enhanced customer service the frequent flyers programmes.

Customers can pick and choose from over 160 destinations in the combined networks of both airlines, which are perfectly connected via their home main hubs.

This latest cooperation comes hot on the heels of the airlines’ recent loyalty partnerships announcement, giving RwandAir Dream Miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty members access to each other’s destinations with the opportunity to ‘earn and burn’ points across their reciprocal route networks.

Yvonne Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “We’re really excited to be opening up more of the world to our customers through the new interline agreement with Qatar Airways. “Delivering excellent customer experience is key for us and we know that any traveler flying with Qatar Airways or RwandAir, as part of the agreement, will continue to receive the same unrivalled level of service they’re used to from both airlines.”

His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al-Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: “This partnership cements our commitment to giving travellers the widest choice of destinations, while providing a seamless, high quality travel experience, which is the goal of both Qatar Airways and RwandAir. “Africa is a hugely important market for us and this latest partnership will help support the recovery of international air travel and offer unrivalled connectivity to and from a number of new African destinations.”

RwandAir operates services throughout Africa and to long-haul destinations including London Heathrow, from its Kigali based hub. It was also the first African airline to be awarded the top Diamond status rating for COVID-prevention measures – the highest attainable level from APEX Health Safety, powered by SimpliFlying.

The airline’s customers will also be able to connect through Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Doha, the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating, to access Qatar Airways’ destinations on every continent, from Paris to Washington, Delhi to Hong Kong and many more.

With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to change their travel dates or destination if required. Qatar Airways serves Kigali from Doha five times per week via Entebbe, utilizing its sustainable and fuel efficient Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

The airline’s customers can transit via Kigali to a diverse range of African destinations including Bujumbura, Brazzaville and Libreville.

Qatar Airways was recently named Airline of the Year 2021 by Airline Ratings, also clinching Best Middle East Airline, Best Catering, and Best Business Class awards and became the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organization, Skytrax.

For full details of all the safety measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety. This follows the success of Hamad International Airport (HIA) as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.

For further information, please contact: communications@rwandair.com 

Source: Rwandair

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Press Release – AFRAA releases the 2020 Africa Air transport report

The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has released the 2020 Africa air transport report. The report gives an in-depth analysis of Africa’s air transport industry performance for 2020 covering: financial performance, passenger and cargo traffic evolution, airport ranking, intra Africa connectivity and openness.

 AFRAA 2020 Africa Air transport report Highlights

 1. Financial performance

2020 was an exceptionally difficult year in history. The travel industry was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimated Passenger Revenue loss for Africa airlines in 2020 is US$ 10.21 billion.

 2. Passenger Traffic Evolution

The number of scheduled Passengers carried by African airlines dropped from 95 million in 2019 to 34.7 million in 2020, representing a year-on-year decline of 63.7%. The reduction in traffic continued until June, before reversing with the gradual opening of borders.

Northern Africa was the leading region in terms of passenger volumes, representing 36.6% of the total continental traffic. This was followed by Eastern Africa with a share of 22.2%.

3. Airport Ranking

Johannesburg and Cairo were the busiest airports in Africa in 2020. The only West & Central African airport in the top 10 ranking is Lagos.

In terms of cargo volumes, Nairobi Jomo Kenya airport was top, handling more than 330 thousand tons of freight during the year 2020. Cairo was second with 280 thousand tons.

In terms of airport charges, Lusaka had the highest level of airport charges while Mahe Island had the lowest. Some of the busiest airports in Africa like Johannesburg, Addis, Algiers are among the least expensive. This indicates that lowering the airport charges can have a positive effect on traffic.

4. Intra Africa connectivity and openness

Among the 54 countries in the African continent, 13 have direct flights to more than 20 African countries. Ethiopia and Kenya lead with 30 direct flights and more to other countries within Africa.

However, intra-African connectivity remains low. African airlines should take the opportunity to develop their Intra-African Network, especially in this period where the EU has limited travels to Europe.

The report can be accessed via the link:  https://afraa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/AFRAA-AIR-TRANSPORT-REPORT-Q1_-2021.pdf

 

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