Airlift is an exciting catalyst for Africa's economic development, tourism growth, and regional integration.
This was highlighted during a panel discussion at Africa’s Travel Indaba 2024 in Durban last week.
Mpumi Mpofu, CEO of Airports Company South Africa, which manages 12 of South Africa’s largest airports, was in attendance and participated in the panel with CemAir Chief Commercial Officer Shaniel Singh, Tebogo Fihla from Kenya Airways, and others.
According to an article by ATI Daily News, published by Sola Media, the panel discussions focused on, amongst other things, understanding and grappling with the emerging and historic challenges for airlift strategies in and around Africa.
Despite the debilitating COVID-19 disruptions, the panellists said there had been airlift advancements on the African continent.
The panel also looked at all the exciting trends and available opportunities to increase travel numbers. Specifically, the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement is creating a greater propensity for air travel, both for passengers and cargo.
ATI annually provides a platform for aviation industry players to seek solutions to pressing challenges.
Positive numbers
In March, the African aviation sector witnessed a notable 8.1% year-on-year increase in international passenger demand, as reported by IATA.
“This surge in demand signals robust growth in international passenger markets across the continent, reflecting a positive trend in air travel,” said Mpofu.
According to the IATA Air Passenger Market Analysis report for March 2024, the capacity of African airlines also saw an 11% year-on-year increase to accommodate the rising passenger demand.
However, despite the increase in capacity, the load factor of African airlines experienced a slight decline, dropping to 70.3% compared with March 2023. This indicates that, on average, flights were 70.3% full during this period.
Mpofu added: “South African airline traffic has increased steadily post-pandemic with travellers now seeking out special destination tourism with more people opting to fly direct to destinations such as Kruger National Park and the Cape Winelands region.”
The global airline industry's total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, experienced a robust growth trajectory in March, increasing by 13.8% annually, primarily fuelled by strong international traffic. Passenger load factors exceeded 2023 levels, reflecting the industry's achievement of record levels of passenger traffic, surpassing the historical peak set in 2019.
“These insights underscore the dynamic nature of the global aviation industry and highlight the significant role played by African airlines in driving international air travel and connectivity across the continent,” Mpofu concluded.
