Fuel, Taxes, And Protectionism: The Exorbitant Cost Of Air Travel In Africa

Air travel across the same continent, spanning 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), does not appear to be difficult. Yet one might exist in Africa.

As an example, consider Libreville and Bangui. This trip costs $1,000, takes at least nine hours, and necessitates changing planes. It is an illustration of the difficulties that Africa's aviation industry faces due to protectionist policies and high taxes.

A flight that travels the same distance in two hours, but costs five times less, is available between Paris and Madrid.

Moses Munga, a 27-year-old construction consultant traveling from Nairobi to Ghana, claimed that “travel on the continent is very difficult” in contrast to Europe.

Civil engineer Ahmed Mekewi claimed to be a frequent business traveler, similar to Munga, who told AFP said his job required him to travel to West Africa multiple times a year.

He admitted, though, that “I would have difficulty travelling on my own.”

“The cost of travelling in Africa is very challenging,” the 29-year-old remarked.

There isn't “a unified... market” in Africa, in contrast to Europe, which liberalized its aviation industry in the 1990s, an industry expert told AFP.

“In Europe, Air France for example can make as many flights as it wants, to Germany, Belgium, Spain or Portugal. This freedom... does not exist within Africa,” for African carriers, he stated, asking to remain anonymous due to the nature of his job.

He continued, “African governments have granted airlines restricted traffic rights that result in fewer direct routes, lower flight frequency, and longer travel times across the 54-nation continent.”

In 2021, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the African Union conducted a study which revealed that only 19% of the 1,431 possible connections between each member state of the bloc had a weekly direct flight.

Mechanisms of protection

According to Linden Birns, a South African aviation consultant, “protectionist mechanisms favoring local airlines, such as charging foreign companies more for flying over or operating inside their territory... hampers competition and drives up prices.”

Consequently, “air traffic in Africa isn't really growing because it's so expensive.”