Air Transport in Africa Outlook - 2026

[rwandan-flyer]

Air Transport in Africa Outlook - 2019-2023
Air Transport in Africa Outlook - 2024
Air Transport in Africa Outlook - 2025

Things are moving fast in Kenya.

The airline is expected to take delivery of its first 737 Max aircraft this year (article from December 16, 2025: https://www.afraa.org/kenya-airways-pur ... in-africa/), and the 777-300ER is expected to return 10 years after its retirement. https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/260116-kqns26lhr

B767F and B777F aircraft are expected to join the fleet this year. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/ ... f-delivery

A new airport is planned for Nairobi. Construction is expected to begin this year. So, eventually, there would be three commercial airports in Nairobi: Wilson, Jomo Kenyatta, and the airport located in Konza, 60 km from Nairobi. https://mjengohub.co.ke/articles/infras ... ril-or-may. There is a fourth airport, but it's a Kenya Air Force base.

Singapore and Qatar are reportedly vying for control of Kenya Airways. African Intelligence, always so well-informed, provides us with interesting information. This article is for subscribers only, but I have a subscription, so here's a summary. https://www.africaintelligence.com/east ... 608724-eve

For Singapore:

Temasek Holdings (which owns 10% of Singapore Airlines) is still awaiting the Kenyan government's response to its offer. This offer would allow it to acquire a majority stake in Kenya Airways and restructure the group, while leaving a minority stake of approximately 10% with the state, which would thus retain oversight of the company's management.

For the moment, the company's management has not yet consulted the shareholders. However, some individuals within the Kenyan government are trying to expedite the process. Relations between Kenya and Singapore are very good, particularly following the visit of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in May 2023.

Qatar Airways:

There are no plans to acquire shares in Kenya Airways. They want to focus on commercial or management partnerships. This would allow Qatar Airways to recapitalize the company and help it restructure through new investments, with compensation potentially including the management of Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and a share of future profits.

Qatar wants to make East Africa its own private sphere of influence. Qatar Airways is already involved in Rwanda (Bugesera Airport and RwandAir) and is reportedly in discussions to build the new Mogadishu Airport in Somalia.

For the moment, the Kenyan president has no preference. He had tried to approach Delta Air Lines, but without success.

In the short term, Kenya Airways must resolve internal issues. At the management level, there have been departures, some of which have not been replaced, and the company continues to suffer from a shortage of spare parts for its aircraft, which has resulted in part of its fleet being grounded.

African Intelligence contacted the Qatari embassy in Kenya, Kenya Airways, and Temasek Holdings. None of them were willing to answer the journalist's questions.

[rwandan-flyer]

Some interesting news:

Ethiopian Airlines is suspending its Atlanta route. Load factors have been low since the beginning. This is the third route suspended in the US, after Los Angeles and Houston.

Air Côte d'Ivoire's load factor on the CDG-Abidjan route is 40% (flights operated with A330neos). Changing the schedule (there will no longer be a night stop on certain days at CDG) won't improve the situation. The flights aren't suitable for connecting flights to West and Central Africa. The Beirut route also has a good chance of failing, according to Behramjee and Sean.

Behramjee isn't too confident about Oman Air's success on the Kigali route.

Some indiscretions regarding Air Sierra Leone because Sean Mendis is involved in the project.

This session was broadcast live on January 26, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8ZjR6XOSfY

To stay up-to-date with all the latest news from AviaDev, subscribe at https://www.aviadev.com/keep-me-updated

As always, we are pleased to welcome back our valued collaborators: Behramjee Ghadially and Sean Mendis.

Chapters:

Announcement of the 2025 AviaDev Award Winners

Ethiopian Airlines Network Updates for Spring 2026

Increased Flights to ACC (Accra), ABV (Abuja), BLZ (Blantrye, Malawi), JIZ (Jizan, Saudi Arabia), CPT (Cape Town), NSI (Yaoundé), BAH (Bahrain), MCT (Muscat), and ATH (Athens)

New Connections to Lyon and Nacala (Mozambique)

Suspension of Flights to Atlanta

Impact of New US Travel Restrictions on African Demand in 2026

Increased Frequency of Qatar Airways Flights to South Africa

Increased Frequency of Flights to CPT (Cape Town): From 12 to 14

Increased Frequency of Flights to JNB (Johannesburg): From 18 to 21

Increased Frequency Flights to Durban (DUR): 5 to 7 (via Maputo)

TAAG service planned to Guangzhou with a 787

Air Sierra Leone: Banjul – London Gatwick

FastJet cancels flights to LUN-HRE, launched last year

Airlink increases the frequency of its flights to Lilongwe and plans to order 30 E175-E2s to replace its fleet of E135/140s.

SAA-Cemair Codeshare Agreement

Kenya Airways 777-300ER flights to LHR resume in June

Issues with Uganda Airlines' A330s

Flights reduced at LGW (Gatwick) (from 4 to 3)

Flights reduced at BOM (Mumbai) (from 3 to 2)

A330s downgraded to A320s at DXB (Dubai)

Second ACMI A320 currently in service at DAT

Will Air Tanzania finally launch its flights to Accra on January 28, 2026?

Air Côte d'Ivoire Long-Haul Schedule Updates

Schedule splitting from CDG + increased frequency + 40% load factor

Beirut launch on March 29, 2026 (updated)

SUMMARY

Air Zimbabwe turnaround and fleet renewal plan (US$775 million)

Delta's 787-10 order and its implications for Africa

Enugu Air expansion with the E195 and its virtual airline model

Oman Air to Kigali

FlyNAS launch between Abha and Addis Ababa (2 weekly flights)

Air Algérie: Abdis Ababa - N'Djamena - Addis Ababa (2 weekly flights) starting March 2026

[rwandan-flyer]

Bangui, Libreville, Accra… Is Air France really abandoning certain African capitals?

Air France will end its direct flights to the Central African Republic starting January 31, while maintaining a commercial presence in Bangui. This decision illustrates the group's streamlining strategy, which prioritizes profitability by delegating certain African routes to its partners Afrijet and KLM.

https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1758771/ec ... fricaines/

An interesting article form Jeune Afrique on Air France's recent strategy in Africa. The article is for subscribers only (i have a subscription), here's a summary.

Indeed, the airline is taking a more pragmatic approach, even if it means reducing its presence in certain markets. Between fluctuating demand, high air transport costs in Africa, strong competition (Lufthansa Group, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc), and a complex geopolitical context, the airline has made some tough choices. It has refocused on high-yield routes and ceded some routes to KLM (Dar es Salaam and Accra).

Since COVID-19:

Open routes: Banjul, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro

Closed routes: Accra, Bangui, Banjul, Dar es Salaam, Freetown, Monrovia, Port Harcourt (Nigeria), Victoria (Seychelles). The Victoria route was transferred to Air France after Joon's closure in 2019 before closing itself in 2021 (https://www-air--journal-fr.translate.g ... r_pto=wapp)

Suspended routes: Bamako, Ouagadougou, Niamey

Increased frequencies or capacity (a few examples): Cape Town, Nairobi (A350s and sometimes B777-300ERs are deployed in summer instead of the B787-9), Pointe Noire, Brazzaville, Lagos (A350s and B777-200ERs have replaced A330s), Conakry, and Nouakchott are served by A350s instead of A330s. . Djibouti: The route has switched from an A330-200 to a mix of A350s and B777-200ERs depending on the season, but the route is still operated once a week. The status of Djibouti (a major port on the Red Sea and the presence of foreign military bases) certainly helps make the route profitable. Dakar gets additional night departure from CDG on a peak period

The article states that Central Africa is an area with low demand (compared to other regions in Africa). Demand is far too irregular. Air France is therefore adapting.

Flights to Kinshasa and Libreville have seen their capacity reduced. Libreville went from 6 flights per week to 3-4 flights per week at the beginning of October 2025, leading some to fear the route's closure (https://gabonmediatime-com.translate.go ... r_pto=wapp). However, the airline has stated that this is a reorganization of the station. The A330s will once again be replaced by 787-9s and occasionally by B777-200ERs https://info241-com.translate.goog/libr ... r_pto=wapp). Kinshasa's capacity is fluctuating between A350s and B787-9s. Air France is primarily prioritizing increased capacity during peak periods on the more attractive routes to Pointe Noire and Brazzaville. Brazzaville and Pointe Noire sometimes have two flights per day.

I don't know if Air France has plans to open new routes in Africa. There was Maputo (https://www-air--journal-fr.translate.g ... r_pto=wapp), but due to instability in Mozambique, the airline canceled the launch. Windhoek (Namibia) is an important market for French tourists, and Windhoek can benefit from Air France's extensive network at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), but KLM closed its station there during the COVID-19 pandemic. The presence of Discover Airlines, along with the arrival of Edelweiss, will allow the Lufthansa Group to have a strong presence.

What about Entebbe (Uganda)? But KLM already flies there and has been offering fewer flights since COVID (currently 3 flights per week via Kigali). Kigali? KLM already flies there too, and RwandAir operates between CDG and Kigali. Even though point-to-point traffic has increased significantly and Air France has a large network, I don't see Air France returning to KGL at all. This is true even though France and Rwanda have signed a new BASA agreement. Finally, I don't believe in a return to Freetown, Monrovia, or Port Harcourt, but I'm probably wrong.

[rwandan-flyer]

A brief update regarding the Niger crisis, which has been ongoing for almost three years, following gunfire heard around Niamey airport on the night of January 28-29, 2026.

Two Asky Boeing 737s and one Air Côte d'Ivoire Airbus A319 were hit by gunfire. No one was on board; the aircraft were making an overnight stop in Niamey.

https://news-abidjan-net.translate.goog ... r_pto=wapp

An Asky plane damaged at Niamey airport In the article, they say 2 Asky aircraft.

According to the Mena Today website, which reported the information on Friday, Niger's military leader, Abdourahamane Tiani, accused France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the attack that occurred Wednesday night against Niamey International Airport, without providing any evidence.


https://www-republicoftogo-com.translat ... r_pto=wapp

[rwandan-flyer]

Ivory Coast: Air France flight 702 experiences a technical incident upon landing


On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Abidjan's Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport was the scene of an operational incident involving Air France flight AF 702. The aircraft, an Airbus A350 registered F-HUVM, arriving from Paris, made a normal landing on runway 03 at 7:27 p.m. It was during the taxiing phase, after leaving the active runway, that the situation required the intervention of airport authorities and the Ministry of Transport.

https://www-financialafrik-com.translat ... r_pto=wapp

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Interesting while there a less non stop flights between Europe and Seychelles**, Seychelles starts to get more and more flights with Asia.

Despite the closure of Etihad service to Seychelles and Air Seychelles service to Mumbai, Sichuan Airlines (https://tourism.gov.sc/?p=8689), Indigo, Qatar Airways, Emirates serve SEY, while Air Seychelles serves Colombo, Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. Now Air Astana (Air Seychelles started charter flights to Almaty in 2022 https://astanatimes.com/2022/11/air-sey ... -december/) and FlyNas eye Seychelles.

More airlines planning flights to Seychelles: Air Astana, Flynas, Airlink and FlySafair

https://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/ar ... -flysafair

** Air France, Austrian Airlines (flights started in 2017 https://insidetravel.news/austrian-airl ... eychelles/) and British Airways ended flights during covid. Air Seychelles ended flights to Paris, London and Dusseldorf, late 2010s when they retired the A330. Now only Edelweiss Air, Condor, Discover Airlines, Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines serve but most of these routes are seasonal.

[rwandan-flyer]

Someone on in the other forum has said to me that the article about Seychelles aviation was published in 2022. Sorry for the mistake

[rwandan-flyer]

This time no mistake about the date . They put both 2025 and 2026, but the news was published this year (https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... 1.33&aic=0)

Saudi Airlines to Begin Direct Flights to Mogadishu

Somalia, 10 January 2025 - Saudi Airlines is preparing to launch direct flights to Mogadishu following a comprehensive technical assessment of Aden Adde International Airport (AAIA),marking an important milestone for Somalia’s civil aviation sector.

https://www.dawan.africa/news/saudi-air ... -mogadishu

Interesting, in the article the Director General of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) says that they have interest from European carriers (Turkish Airlines is currently the only European airline to serve Somalia). It's hard to believe that an airline such as Air France or Lufthansa will fly right now to Somalia. Somalia still facing to the instability, alhough that the situation is not the same that in 90s and in 2000s.

I think about Greek carriers (if it happens). In 2014, SkyGreece started to serve Somalia, from, Greece, UK and Nordics countries using a B767-300ER. https://allafrica.com/stories/201406231971.html

Aegean Airlines is now the first European to serve Baghdad since 35 years (https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/f ... rly-1990s/). They started flights last year. It's a little bit wrong because French carrier Aigle Azur operated flights to Baghdad in 2010s from Paris Orly (https://www-france24-com.translate.goog ... r_pto=wapp).

Air Mediterranean operates a Athens Damas service, using a B737-400. They serve also Libya. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Mediterranean. But the B737-400 can't fly non stop from Europe to Somalia.

It's only hypothesis, i m probably wrong. But when we look the Somalian Diaspora with a more stable country, the point to point demand can be huge !!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalis

[Homo Aeroportus]

.......
Saudi Airlines to Begin Direct Flights to Mogadishu
Somalia, 10 January 2025 - Saudi Airlines is preparing to launch direct flights to Mogadishu following a comprehensive technical assessment of Aden Adde International Airport (AAIA),marking an important milestone for Somalia’s civil aviation sector.

Interesting, in the article the Director General of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) says that they have interest from European carriers (Turkish Airlines is currently the only European airline to serve Somalia). It's hard to believe that an airline such as Air France or Lufthansa will fly right now to Somalia. Somalia still facing to the instability, alhough that the situation is not the same that in 90s and in 2000s.

Indeed, the situation in Mogadishu has improved a lot in the recent years.

My last trip to Somalia was in 2019 and it was fairly “hot” then. I went to give a training to the UN forces but at the last minute was not authorised to go to Kismayo, Buledweyne or even the US base of Baledogle, all considered unsafe. Nor could I stay in a hotel downtown Mog as the national sport of kidnapping was in full boom, but the high-security compound next to the airport was fine.

Now the airport is run by Favori, a Turkish company that built the modern terminal and the GM is a pro who was at the head of Niamey before. The new “Décalé” (sic) airport hotel is part of the same Kosuva Group. Hope to try that in a couple of months.
The Somali government and the CAA boss push the “New Mogadishu Development Corporation” that includes a green-(sandy?) field airport 40km north of Mog. First stone ceremony 6 months ago. So yes, air traffic will continue growing and in much safer conditions.

Back in the days, operating at HCMM was tricky. Landings were always on RWY05 which means approach over the sea.
Local joke was that landing on 23 was prohibited for “noise abatement reason”. Uh ?!
“Yes, if you overfly the city, they will shoot a SAM up your pipe, you will crash and that makes a lot of noise. We don’t want to make noise.”
The charts in use then are explicit.

H.A.

[rwandan-flyer]

Yes MGQ is quite busy. You have to add UN Flights. Somalia has the capacity to become a big market in Africa. The country can be used as air bridge between Middle East and Africa. But lots of work to do.

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Published last year in Nov25.

Mauritius press announced that Mauritius Civil Aviation Authority has given its green lights to Aegean Airlines to fly from Athens to Mauritius and Seychelles. No date (at least not for 2026), but flights to Mauritius will be optd 3 times a week. Probably same thing (green lights from Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority ) for Seychelles with 4 times a week, using A321XLR

https://topfm-mu.translate.goog/aviatio ... r_pto=wapp

[rwandan-flyer]

A serious crisis whose repercussions are still difficult to predict. Algeria denounced last week the air agreement linking it to the United Arab Emirates, signed in the 2010s. This means that airlines currently flying between the UAE and Algeria will no longer be protected by the air agreement in 12 months, when the termination will take effect. Flights are expected to cease automatically in any case, unless Algeria withdraws its complaint before then.

Currently, Emirates operates one flight per day to Algiers, while Air Algérie operates three flights per week. Etihad, which was scheduled to begin flights, closed bookings well before the announcement, following refusals from Algerian authorities.

Point-to-point demand between Algiers and Dubai: 249,000 passengers in 2024, that's enormous

This follows the deterioration of relations between Algeria and the UAE, including the UAE's growing influence in North Africa and Sudan. Algeria also has strained relations with its neighbors such as Spain, France, and Mali. It suspects Morocco, which maintains good relations with the UAE, of playing a role in isolating Algeria in Africa and on the international stage. Algeria can no longer rely on its main allies, which are weakened: Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.

https://www.aps.dz/en/algeria/national- ... b-emirates

https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2632266/middle-east

The agreement also includes specific rights, such as the freedom to fly over without landing. For example, an airline that flies between the UAE and Morocco and flies over Algeria without landing will no longer have the right to fly over Algeria.

The same scenario applies to flights between Algeria and Mali. Airlines can no longer fly over both countries on the same route.

https://www.reddit.com/r/flightradar24/ ... his_route/

Sudan, West Africa, and North Africa, flying over Africa is becoming complicated

[rwandan-flyer]

Air France article on Africa Intelligence, available to subscribers. As a subscriber, here's a summary:

Air France CEO on a mission to Dakar

Anne Rigail will make a two-day visit to Senegal on February 12 and 13. The agenda includes a meeting with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, amidst questions surrounding the future of Air Senegal. https://www.africaintelligence.fr/afriq ... 624197-art

We learn that the Dakar CDG route for Air France is one of the most profitable in Africa for the company. During peak season, the airline operates 10 flights per week (a night flight from Dakar CDG, departing at 10 p.m., if I'm not mistaken).

Anne Rigail will be going to Senegal for a very important visit. First, there will be the inauguration of new Air France offices in Senegal. Second, there will be discussions regarding the future of Air Senegal.

Air Senegal owes Air France several million euros for its operations at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Air France subcontracts various services to Air Senegal, such as catering. Air France-KLM is the majority shareholder of Servair.

Since the arrival of the new Senegalese government and a new management team at Air Senegal, 50% of the debt owed to Air France has been settled.

The dispute between Air Senegal and the BPI (Public Investment Bank) remains. The BPI has threatened to seize the airline's two A330neo aircraft due to payment delays.

BPI : Bpifrance also known as the Banque publique d'investissement (lit. '[French] Public Investment Bank') is a French public sector investment bank. It is a joint venture of two state owned enterprises: the Caisse des dépôts et consignations and EPIC Bpifrance Group (formerly EPIC OSEO). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bpifrance

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[Burundi / United Arab Emirates: Towards the Resumption of Bujumbura-Dubai Flights?

Abu Dhabi, February 4, 2026 (BdiAgnews) – The possible resumption of direct Bujumbura-Dubai flights by Emirates and Flydubai, suspended since 2020 due to Covid-19, was the focus of discussions between Burundian Foreign Minister Bizimana Édouard and His Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Accompanied by Burundian Finance Minister Ndirakobuca Alain, the meeting, held on the sidelines of the Global Government Governance Summit (February 3-5, Dubai), also addressed the opening of the Burundian Embassy in the UAE and facilitating employment for Burundian migrants. Since 2024, a growing number of Burundians, particularly teachers and medical personnel, have been leaving the country for Dubai, sometimes to the detriment of public services. Also Saudi Arabia with labor market.

https://burundi-agnews.org/burundi-emir ... ura-dubai/ (in French translation doesn't work)

Burundi is in talks with the UAE authorities to relaunch flights between Dubai and Bujumbura either with FlyDubai or Emirates. Dubai-Bujumbura flights were operated by FlyDubai from 2014 to 2016 (not 2020 as stated in the article). The political crisis that Burundi experienced starting in 2015 led to a decrease in demand. Around the same time, RwandAir and Kenya Airways reduced their flights. Brussels Airlines went from two to one flight per week. All these airlines have more or less recovered their capacity, although RwandAir is now offering one flight per day instead of two, and Kenya Airways is operating some of its flights through its low-cost carrier, Jambojet, which caused a diplomatic incident because some of the planes did not have business class seating. (https://www.google.com/search?q=jamboje ... s-wiz-serp)

Company Fly540 (Kenya), which had served Bujumbura Airport (BJM) since 2010, ceased operations in 2022 and has not returned. https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/ ... s--1972862

Even though the worst of the crisis has passed, the country is still facing some economic difficulties. The crisis in eastern DRC and the one with Rwanda have led to the closure of its land borders with Rwanda and the DRC.

Bujumbura Airport has the advantage of being well-connected to major East African airports and therefore to major hubs (Uganda Airlines, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Tanzania, and RwandAir). However, it faces limited service outside of East Africa. Brussels Airlines is the only European airline currently flying to Burundi. There were indeed potential arrivals of Turkish Airlines in 2015 (https://www-embassyburunditurkey-org.tr ... r_pto=wapp), 2020 (https://www-embassyburunditurkey-org.tr ... r_pto=wapp), and 2022 (in French translation doesn't work https://x.com/ikiriho/status/1504339247976914945), but no flights.

Until the 2010s, BJM airport enjoyed a good access that, while limited, was quite respectable. As for the successors of Air Burundi, Burundi Airlines (https://www.google.com/search?q=burundi ... s-wiz-serp) and FlyBurundi (https://www.google.com/search?q=flyburu ... s-wiz-serp) not much to say. None of them operated a single flight.
In the 2000s: Johannesburg and Jeddah with South African airline Interlink Airlines (Johannesburg-Bujumbura-Jeddah twice a week on a Boeing 737-200 https://www.arabnews.com/node/315087), and RwandAir (Kigali-Bujumbura-Johannesburg https://www.departedflights.com/WB071707.html).

In the 2010s: Johannesburg with South African Airways (Kigali-Bujumbura-Johannesburg https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/ ... an-network) and Dubai with FlyDubai (DXB-Entebbe-Bujumbura https://news.flydubai.com/entebbe-and-b ... al-flights#).

I don't know if the demand justifies the return of a route to Dubai. It will have to be operated via another airport anyway. There's no reason for Emirates to use Nairobi with its three daily flights, nor Dar es Salaam. Entebbe remains an option, but the logical thing would be to link the route to Kigali, if EK decides to come to Kigali.

I think that the authorities were motivated by this.

Emirates to launch third daily flight to Nairobi; seamless Kenya Airways connections to Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi assured

The new flight schedule has been optimized for connectivity with key flights operated by Kenya Airways, enabling seamless onward travel to top regional destinations such as Rwanda, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mozambique and Burundi https://clubofmozambique.com/news/emira ... i-assured/

[/quote]

Emirates split all its routes in East Africa in the mid-2000s. Dubai Nairobi Entebbe then Dubai Addis Ababa Entebbe https://ugbusiness.com/2025/10/company- ... -to-uganda

[Dan]

Concerning Air Senegal, how is there route to Brussels doing?

[rwandan-flyer]

I don't have any infos about the load factor on BRU DSS route by Air Senegal

Air France CEO on a mission to Dakar

Anne Rigail will make a two-day visit to Senegal on February 12 and 13. The agenda includes a meeting with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, amidst questions surrounding the future of Air Senegal. https://www.africaintelligence.fr/afriq ... 624197-art

We learn that the Dakar CDG route for Air France is one of the most profitable in Africa for the company. During peak season, the airline operates 10 flights per week (a night flight from Dakar CDG, departing at 10 p.m., if I'm not mistaken).

Anne Rigail will be going to Senegal for a very important visit. First, there will be the inauguration of new Air France offices in Senegal. Second, there will be discussions regarding the future of Air Senegal.

Air Senegal owes Air France several million euros for its operations at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Air France subcontracts various services to Air Senegal, such as catering. Air France-KLM is the majority shareholder of Servair.

Since the arrival of the new Senegalese government and a new management team at Air Senegal, 50% of the debt owed to Air France has been settled.

The dispute between Air Senegal and the BPI (Public Investment Bank) remains. The BPI has threatened to seize the airline's two A330neo aircraft due to payment delays.

BPI : Bpifrance also known as the Banque publique d'investissement (lit. '[French] Public Investment Bank') is a French public sector investment bank. It is a joint venture of two state owned enterprises: the Caisse des dépôts et consignations and EPIC Bpifrance Group (formerly EPIC OSEO). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bpifrance

Presidency of Senegal 9:07 PM · Feb 12, 2026
@PR_Senegal
The President of Senegal, @PR_Diomaye, received Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France. The airline reaffirmed Dakar's strategic role in its network. Prospects for a partnership with Air Senegal were discussed to strengthen the hub, connectivity, and Senegal's ambition as a regional crossroads. https://x.com/PR_Senegal/status/2022039999362085279

[Dan]

Thanks Rwanda-flyer,
Always nice to read your comments and info, as you did again with the Belgium-Noth Africa traffic
figures in the Brussels Airlines post

[rwandan-flyer]

Thanks, it's quite hard to publish all infos about African Aviation (there are a lots^^). I try to select The most interesting ones ( but of course i have some bias), and I try to remain factual by providing links so people can form their own opinions. I'm not perfect, but I try to provide lots of informations to help people understand aviation in Africa.

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Kenya Airways appears to be further reducing its flights to Central Africa. While the airline ended services to Bangui, Brazzaville, and Yaoundé during the COVID-19 pandemic, it now only offers three flights per week to Douala and five flights per week to Kinshasa, compared to one flight per day last year.

Lubumbashi has reduced to four flights per week. If i m right that not so long ago, the airline offered one flight per day.

Source: Kenya Airways booking website

This can be explained by the fact that Ethiopian Airlines now offers two flights per day to these three destinations: one daytime and one nighttime. KQ is also retiring its ERJ 190s. Of the 15 it had in total, it now has eight remaining. In recent years, it has primarily added flights to East Africa: Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, and Kigali are served a maximum of four times a day. This is also greatly helped by a strong point-to-point demand between these cities and Nairobi.

Point to point for 2024

Entebbe Nairobi : 256 890 pax
Dar Es Salaam Nairobi : 169 848 pax
Kigali Nairobi : 104 276 pax

The airline is expected to receive 2 more B737-800s this year (ex Aerolineas Argentina https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aliongo- ... 97984-wywQ). These aircraft will primarily be used to increase service on routes where demand is high.

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Smartwings Wet-Leases Boeing 737 MAX to Air Seychelles, Keeping Czech Crews Flying Through Winter Slump

Czech carrier Smartwings has clinched another winter ACMI (aircraft-crew-maintenance-insurance) contract, positioning a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (reg. OK-SWH) at Mahé to operate regional services for Air Seychelles. From this week the jet is flying to Johannesburg, Colombo, Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv and Mauritius, the airline confirmed on X on 12 February.

Wet-lease deals are a lifeline for Central European charter airlines whose fleet utilisation plunges after the ski-charter rush. Smartwings lost a major Canadian customer after the WestJet–Sunwing merger and now offsets that gap with winter contracts for SpiceJet in India, Flynas in Saudi Arabia and Eurowings in Germany. The Seychelles assignment guarantees flying hours for Czech pilots and cabin crews at a time when domestic demand is still 22 % below the pre-pandemic average, according to Prague Airport statistics. https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-02-13/ ... ter-slump/

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Khartoum airport receives first scheduled flight since start of Sudan war

Celebrations as flight carries dozens of passengers from Port Sudan to Sudanese capital.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/1 ... -sudan-war

[rwandan-flyer]

A second Emirates destination in Zimbabwe? EK serves currently Harare. Since Emirates suspended flights to Abuja, South Africa is the only country in Africa with more than one city served by Emirates. Some secondary cities in Africa are gaining importance and can rival capital cities.

Zimbabwean authorities met with representatives of Emirates to discuss the possibility of the airline opening a Victoria Falls-Dubai route. Victoria Falls is a major tourist destination in Zimbabwe, and for the past decade, Zimbabwean authorities have invested heavily to attract tourists: modernizing hotel infrastructure, upgrading the airport, and more.

An Emirates delegation is expected to visit Victoria Falls in May 2026. https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/zimbabwe ... ls-flight/

Results: new routes have opened to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines. But the biggest coup is the arrival of the Lufthansa Group with Discover Airlines, which connects Victoria Falls to Frankfurt via Windhoek, Namibia.

Victoria Falls is becoming a gateway to Zimbabwe, ahead Bulawayo, which has a larger population and is indeed served by Ethiopian Airlines and Airlink. However, the city does not have the same level of service as Victoria Falls. For Harare, the airport saw an increase in its number of routes to South Africa and welcomed Emirates, Qatar Airways, and RwandAir, but at the same time, KLM (https://news.klm.com/klm-discontinues-f ... -zimbabwe/) and Egyptair (whose second attempt to return was unsuccessful https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-busines ... ights.html) only remained for a few years in the 2010s. For the past 10 years, the airport has been trying to attract Turkish Airlines (here in 2017 http://home.businessdaily.co.zw/index-i ... 37329.html), without success.

It was neighboring Zambia that managed to bring Turkish Airlines back both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. There have also been attempts with British Airways (the most recent attempt by Zimbabwe in 2020 https://businesschief.eu/leadership-and ... sh-airways) and Virgin (the first flight was planned for 2019 with a 787, not a 797^^ https://voyagesafriq.com/2018/09/20/vir ... re-flight/). As for Air Zimbabwe, they are trying to relaunch their London route.

It will be interesting to see if EK opens a route to VFA, and if it will be operated with a tag. I don't know if Harare and Lusaka can be served without a tag. EK currently operates DXB HRE LUN HRE DXB. Almost all airlines not based in Southern Africa operate with a double stopover. Even Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines on some flights.

I'm thinking of a tag via Gaborone (Botswana), which was supposed to be served by Emirates via Maputo (Mozambique), but all of that was canceled due to COVID. I'm also thinking of Windhoek. But in both cases, Qatar Airways has suspended its flights to Gaborone and Windhoek, so I don't know if EK would do any better.

I'm not thinking of connecting with Luanda, Cape Town, or Durban (unlike Qatar Airways or Turkish Airlines, which fly Doha-Durban-Maputo). These three destinations are served non-stop, and it would risk cannibalizing seat capacity with a stopover in VFA.

Or I'm thinking of FlyDubai with a B737 MAX 9, if it doesn't work out with EK. The A321neos won't arrive until 2031, so it's a bit late if the route is launched within the next year or two.

It's interesting to see that in some African countries, secondary cities have long-haul international networks or hubs connecting them to hubs within Africa. Even though some of these cities have long been served by major airlines, in recent years the offering has become quite substantial, rivaling that of the country's capital. While in some cases it remains a niche market (flights from Poland to Zanzibar, for example), this is common in North America (USA, Canada, Mexico) and Asia (India, China, Japan), but less so in Africa.

Pointe Noire: Royal Air Maroc which will resume flights this year, Air France, Ethiopian Airlines, and Turkish Airlines (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agostinho ... al_Airport)
Mombasa: Discover Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Neos, Smartwings, Ethiopian Airlines (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moi_International_Airport)
Marrakech: Air Transat, United, Delta, Qatar Airways, Saudia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrakesh_Menara_Airport)
Zanzibar: Lisbon, Madrid, Israel, Etihad Airways, KLM, Air France, flights to Poland and Russia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abeid_Ama ... al_Airport)
Nosy Be (Madagascar): Neos, Ethiopian Airlines, Airlink (South Africa) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascene_Airport)
Cape Town: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Town ... al_Airport
Durban: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

The only exception is Cape Verde. Sal was the only gateway to Cape Verde until the late 2000s/early 2010s. Praia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Ma ... al_Airport), the capital, has caught up following the construction of a new airport.

Personal collection. Fragata, October 1999, TACV Cabo Verde magazine. Montpellier (France) to Paris CDG by bus (10 hours!!) with my high school, and Paris CDG to Sal on a TACV Boeing 757. My first and only flight on a Boeing 757.

[rwandan-flyer]

Air France-KLM's performance in Africa is faltering. An article published by Jeune Afrique a few days ago. While the group is posting record results, its performance in Africa has been disappointing. This is mainly due to a complex geopolitical context and increasingly fierce competition.

For 2025, a 4.1% decrease in load factor (down from 82.1%) and a 1% decrease in unit revenue.

Air France-KLM's performance in Africa is impacted by a year of international turmoil.

The European airline group, which is experiencing strong financial growth, notes a decline in load factor and profitability on its flights to Africa. Three factors, including the elections in Ivory Coast and Cameroon, are cited. https://www-jeuneafrique-com.translate. ... _hist=true

Geopolitical Context:

Elections in Africa are sometimes a source of tension. Although in some cases this doesn't lead to a country being paralyzed, the election period nonetheless represents a time of tension that impacts the group, resulting in lower flight occupancy. Western governments issue travel alerts. Tensions in West Africa, which force Air France to make detours, also have an impact. Unprofitable routes are closed, as was the case with Accra and Bangui.

Visa policy regarding B1/B2 visas, with increasingly strict restrictions. West Africa, a huge market for the group, is particularly affected. Visa renewal refusals have reached 40 to 60%. As a result, Air France-KLM has fewer African passengers flying to the US from Africa. Passengers are therefore turning to Europe and the Middle East. Regarding Europe, visa issuance is becoming increasingly strict, though not yet as stringent as in the United States.

However, Americans (including Africans with US passports, i.e., the diaspora) can travel to Africa without difficulty, even though some countries have implemented restrictions. At the end of 2025, an article in Jeune Afrique (JA) stated that the trend was not towards a sharp decline, despite some adjustments here and there by the airlines https://www-jeuneafrique-com.translate. ... _hist=true

For example, United and Delta transported 750,000 passengers out of the 1,400,000 between Africa and the USA from January 2025 to September 2025, representing a 52.7% market share. And in terms of seats offered:

Delta Airlines: 417,811, United Airlines: 332,675, Royal Air Maroc: 253,558, EgyptAir: 205,176, Ethiopian Airlines: 143,052 (this does not include flights between Lomé and USA and Abidjan and USA), and Kenya Airways: 69,498.

The number of flights also remains stable:

Data from the OAG confirms this trend of stability. The number of scheduled flights between the United States and Africa has not decreased: 5,881 flights were operated in 2024, and nearly 6,205 are planned for this year, representing a slight increase.

Competition

Air France admits to facing increasingly significant competition from local airlines. We are therefore referring to African airlines. We can obviously mention Air Côte d'Ivoire or Air Senegal, even though they are more or less partners and the competition is limited. The real threats are Royal Air Maroc and Ethiopian Airlines (which is probably Air France's biggest competitor in Africa). They have both built efficient hubs between Europe and Africa, and between North America and Africa.

A brief look back at Air France's African network and fleet (via airline magazines) in September 1998 (my second flight with Air France after the merger with Air Inter on the Montpellier (France) - Paris Orly - Montpellier route) and for KLM in November 2001 (a gift from a family member^^). It's clear that Air France has evolved very little compared to Turkish Airlines, Emirates, or Qatar Airways, which have opened numerous routes in Africa. In fact, some routes have even closed, while others have been launched. Air France, which had avoided bankruptcy in the mid-1990s, had closed many routes in Africa, mainly in East Africa. I don't know if Air France had taken over any of its former UTA routes in Africa.





Fleet: 30 B747-100/200/300, 13 B747-400, 5 B767-300ER, 14 A340-200/300, 5 Concorde. Air France primarily used the B747, A310, and B767 on its African routes. The A340s flew to Dakar, if i m right. Nearly 60 A320s (some formerly Air Inter) and the first 3 B777s. The airline operated up to 50 B777s.





Kigali (Rwanda) and Bujumbura (Burundi) are missing from this map, but this is an error. Kenya Airways did indeed serve both cities in 2001. This can be seen on the map of partner airlines in the KLM magazine.

[rwandan-flyer]

Air Congo will start to serve Dar Es Salaam (from 4apr26 https://www.instagram.com/p/DVLQnWRChvS/) and Entebbe (from 26mar26 https://www.instagram.com/p/DVLQsVEjds4/) competing with Air Tanzania and Uganda Airlines. Cotonou (from 28Mar26 https://www.instagram.com/p/DVLQm-jjNly/) and Douala (from 26Mar26 https://www.instagram.com/p/DVLQnXPDBeK/)

All of this departs from Kinshasa. For Johannesburg, the route will be optt via Lubumbashi. https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/260225-etns26jnb

An article about Air Congo on French Economy Newspaper La Tribune (they have an African edition called La Tribune Afrique), i have a subscription at La Tribune, but it seems that the article is a free reading

With Ethiopian Airlines, Air Congo aims to make Kinshasa a major hub in Africa.

Boosted by the arrival of its third Boeing 737 and with a fourth aircraft on the way, Air Congo intends to transform Kinshasa into an air hub for domestic and regional travel. This expansion strategy is being orchestrated with its partner, Ethiopian Airlines.

https://www-latribune-fr.translate.goog ... r_pto=wapp

[rwandan-flyer]

The consequences in Africa.

Ethiopian, Egyptair, Emirates… Disruption in African skies after the start of the war in Iran

The US-Israeli military offensive against Iran has led to the closure of the main airspaces of the Middle East, paralyzing the hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. African airlines, heavily dependent on these connecting hubs, have had to suspend or reorganize their flights to the region. https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1770133/ec ... e-en-iran/

Airlines and airports are affected. They are facing an unusual influx of passengers because some are stranded, either because routes are suspended (limited service resumed on March 3rd) or because planes have had to be diverted.

In Cairo, on February 28, 2026, 47 out of 100 scheduled flights to the Middle East were canceled. Around 30 flights were diverted to various Egyptian airports. Along with Ethiopian Airlines, Egyptair is the most affected African airline. It serves 11 destinations in the Middle East.

Ethiopian Airlines has suspended its flights to all 10 of its Middle Eastern destinations. This has cost them $137 million, with 100 canceled flights and 55,000 passengers impacted. https://x.com/BusInsiderSSA/status/2030629607834100195

Kenya Airways is also affected, but likely less so than Ethiopian Airlines. KQ only serves Dubai twice a day.

Royal Air Maroc and Air Algérie have also suspended their flights to the Middle East. RAM has suspended its service to Doha and Dubai (it has major agreements with QR and EK). Air Algérie has suspended its flights to Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE. Given that flights are suspended for a long time for both Emirates and Air Algérie, I wonder if either airline will resume its flights between Dubai and Algiers. Algeria has denounced its air agreement with the UAE, and normally, starting in early 2027, neither airline will be able to operate flights between Algiers and Dubai.

As for Middle Eastern airlines, Emirates and Etihad are offering limited service to Africa, while Qatar Airways, Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways, Salam Air, Gulf Air, and Oman Air currently have no flights to Africa. Flynas appears to be operating flights to Entebbe.

Personal comment

Some European airlines will surely be able to recover some of their traffic. I'm thinking of the passengers who transit through the Middle East to reach East and Southern Africa.

RwandAir, Air Tanzania, and Uganda Airlines are likely to be severely affected. They are smaller airlines compared to KQ and ET, but they don't have a significant network in Asia. KQ and ET could potentially capture the Africa-Asia traffic. Kenya Airways, which has partners in Asia, serves India, China, and Thailand. Ethiopian Airlines serves Pakistan, India, Thailand, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh.

RwandAir serves Doha, through a codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways and Dubai. It remains to be seen whether the current war will impact Qatar Airways' investments in Rwanda. RwandAir could (to some extent) rely on its Europe-East Africa network, particularly Zanzibar. But the company also has to contend with the closure of Congolese (DR Congo) airspace, which prevents it from flying over the country when operating Rwanda-West/Central Africa flights. Flights are being diverted, and the company has closed several routes (Abuja, Kinshasa, Goma, Lubumbashi, Cotonou, and Brazzaville). I don't expect The New Times Rwanda (the largest pro-government Rwandan newspaper) to publish an article about this (RwandAir's losses).

Uganda Airlines only serves Mumbai and Dubai, and Air Tanzania serves Mumbai, Guangzhou, and Dubai. These are airlines currently posting significant losses. Their rather limited network, which doesn't always function as a hub because some African flights don't connect with long-haul flights, won't allow them to attract many passengers.

[rwandan-flyer]

Air Seychelles will resume flights to Paris Cdg 3 times a week from 20 Mars 2026 for a period of one month to test the market. They will use an Etihad B787-9. You can see timetables on Air Seychelles website, but it's Subject To Government Approval

I m a little bit skeptical about this.



Yes they could certainly benefit from the potential weakness of Emirates and Qatar Airways due to the US/Israel/Iran conflict, there are still competitors: Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Discover Airlines, and Condor. The 3 last Europeans airlines can provide connecting France through various partnerships.

Under Etihad's leadership (2011-2021), it recovered in the early 2010s. It posted profits in 2012 (https://gulfbusiness.com/air-seychelles ... on-profit/)

Air Seychelles attempted long-haul flights again 10 years ago by reopening its route to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) (in 2015 https://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/ar ... ts+in+July) and serving Düsseldorf for the first time (https://www.airseychelles.com/fr/about- ... an-network). The airline quickly suspended its flights, 2018 for Paris and Augu17 for DUS. The A330s were retired from the fleet, and the company ordered two A320neos.

They have also added long haul flights to Singapore, Hong Kong. Both routes have closed.

The airline was profitable before launching long-haul flights and subsequently accumulated losses. In 2022 (https://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/pu ... since-2016) and 2023 (https://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/ar ... /show-news), the company posted profits again. I have no data for 2024 and 2025.

Although demand is likely increasing, Air Seychelles is a small airline. In the region, we can see the difficulties faced by Madagascar Airlines (formerly Air Madagascar), which ceased long-haul flights six years ago, and Air Mauritius, which is still operating at a loss. I could also add Air Tanzania, Uganda Airlines, Air Senegal, RwandAir, and Air Côte d'Ivoire, which are losing a significant amount of money.

I think the one month is probably good thing. I hope i will wrong.