Kenya Airways announced on Friday that merging airlines across Africa could significantly reduce the high cost of intra-African air travel. Speaking in Nairobi, Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka highlighted that air travel within Africa costs more than double the price for similar distances in regions like the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Kilavuka attributed the high costs to the fragmentation of the African aviation market, where numerous small national airlines compete rather than collaborate. ‘Africa has many small national airlines competing in fragmented markets, which leads to high ticket prices,’ he said during the Aviation 101 Media Lab session, a platform that brings together aviation experts and journalists for better industry coverage.
To be profitable, Kilavuka noted, commercial airlines require a fleet of at least 50 aircraft, a target that many African carriers struggle to meet. He proposed that merging national airlines into larger, regional hubs could help pool resources, reduce operational costs, and ultimately lead to cheaper airfares for travellers across Africa.
Kilavuka also cited the slow implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), launched in 2018 to liberalise the aviation sector, as a key factor in the challenges faced by national airlines. He explained that without fully opening up the skies, many African airlines face low seat occupancy rates, making it difficult to reduce fares.
Kilavuka emphasised that regional collaboration and the proper execution of SAATM could transform air travel across Africa, making it more accessible and affordable for millions of people.
