The biggest airlines in Africa

Africa is the second largest and second most populated continent and but accounts for about 3% of the world’s air traffic, as most of its air traffic is being carried out by foreign airlines.

Although the aviation industry in Africa has a long way to go, it is nonetheless a vital catalyst for Africa’s economic growth and social advancement.

The increasing demand for air travel on the continent in order to facilitate business, trade, tourism and social interaction within and outside it makes the need for advancement in this sector quite important for the African continent.

Research conducted by Jovago.com reveals the 7 airline companies in Africa worthy of note as they stand out in terms of seat capacity and accessibility across the region.

South African Airways (SAA)

South Africa’s flag carrier is a forerunner airline on the African continent. It is one of the airlines that have succeeded in bringing Africa to the world.

South African Airways flies to 38 destinations worldwide from its hub at O.R. Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) and is the largest of South Africa’s airlines.

EgyptAir

Based at Cairo International Airport which is its main hub, this airline is the flag carrier airline of Egypt. EgyptAir reaches more than 75 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

With an extensive network of domestic services focused on Cairo, Egypt’s capital, the airline is working to regain profitable operations following the revolution in 2011.

Royal Air Maroc

The Royal Air Maroc is the Moroccan national carrier and also the country’s largest airline. RAM as it is commonly called is fully owned by the government of Morocco, and has its headquarters on the grounds of Casablanca-Anfa Airport.

This carrier operates domestically and internationally reaching lot of destinations in Africa, and also in Asia, Europe, North & South America. They are the only African airline to continue connecting Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia inspite of the Ebola outbreak.

Ethiopian Airlines

Being Ethiopia’s flag carrier, this airline is wholly owned by the country’s government. It was founded in 1945 and commenced operations a year after in 1946, expanding to international flights in 1951.

Since December 2011 Ethiopian Airlines has been a Star Alliance member. Its hub and headquarters are at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, from where it serves a network of over 80 passenger destinations both domestic and freighter.

Ethiopian was the first to provide the Boeing 787 in Africa and also flies to more destinations in Africa than any other carrier. It is one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry, and is among the largest on the African continent.

Kenya Airways

As flag carrier of Kenya, this company was founded in 1977, after the dissolution of East African Airways. Its head office is located in Embakasi, Nairobi with its hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

It was wholly owned by the Government of Kenya until April 1995 after which it was privatised in 1996, becoming the first African flag carrier to successfully do so.

It is the third-biggest airline in sub-Saharan Africa, is majorly owned by the government of Kenya and Air-France KLM.

Full member of SkyTeam in 2010, Kenya Airways is widely considered as one of the leading Sub-Saharan operators as of January 2013.

Air Algerie

This is the national airline of Algeria, its head office is situated in Algiers. Air Algérie operates scheduled international services to about 40 destinations including Beijing and Montreal.

The airline is a member of the International Air Transport Association, the Arab Air Carriers Organization, and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) since 1968.

Air Algérie was 100% owned by the government of Algeria.

Air Mauritius

This is the flag carrier of Mauritius.The airline is headquartered at the Air Mauritius Centre in Port Louis, Mauritius.

Its main hub is the Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. Air Mauritius has been voted the leading airline in the Indian Ocean at the World Travel Awards for the last last nine years and was recently awarded a prestigious 4-STAR Skytrax rating.

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