African airlines are spending an estimated Ksh233 billion annually on aircraft maintenance outside the continent, even as carriers struggle to turn a sharp rise in passenger numbers into meaningful profits.
The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has now called for urgent government intervention and increased investment to help the continent's airlines retain more of that money within Africa and address a growing list of challenges threatening the industry's profitability.
Speaking during a hybrid media roundtable at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday, September 10 on the sidelines of the Aviation Africa Summit 2026, AFRAA warned that African aviation was operating on some of the world's thinnest margins despite a surge in travel demand.
The association, whose 50 member airlines account for more than 85 per cent of international traffic carried by African carriers, said passenger traffic was projected to reach 137.3 million in 2026, representing a 21.5 per cent increase from 2025.
However, African airlines are expected to record a profit margin of just 0.2 per cent, leaving carriers highly vulnerable to fuel price increases, airspace disruptions, high taxes and other external shocks.
“African aviation is ready to deliver on its promise to connect our economies, move our trade, and carry the growth that this continent's youth and enterprise are already generating. But readiness is not the same as capacity," remarked AFRAA.
AFRAA Secretary General Abderahmane Berthé said African airlines were being expected to drive economic growth and connectivity while operating under financial conditions that were far more difficult than those faced by carriers in other regions.
“Our airlines are being asked to carry that promise on some of the thinnest margins in the world, while absorbing costs, blocked funds and shocks that carriers elsewhere simply do not face," Berthé commented.
One of the major concerns raised by the association is Africa's dependence on overseas facilities for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services. According to AFRAA, African airlines currently spend about $1.8 billion annually — approximately Ksh233.01 billion at the current exchange rate — on aircraft maintenance outside the continent.
The association is now pushing for investments that would expand local maintenance capacity and keep a larger share of the money within African economies.
AFRAA also urged governments to reduce the heavy tax burden imposed on air travellers, noting that taxes, fees and other charges account for between 35 and 40 per cent of ticket prices in Africa, compared with roughly 20 per cent globally.
Berthé called on governments to release funds owed to airlines and turn commitments to aviation liberalisation into practical policies, saying “We are calling on governments to release what is owed, to lower the tax burden on air travel, and to convert the liberalisation they have already signed up to into practice on the ground.”
The call comes as African airlines face mounting operational costs caused by conflict-driven airspace closures. AFRAA highlighted a roughly 4,000-kilometre no-fly corridor stretching across Niger, Mali, Sudan and Libya, which has forced airlines to take longer routes, increasing fuel consumption and operating expenses.
The association said the sector needed coordinated action from governments, regional institutions and financing partners to ensure that growing demand for air travel translated into sustainable profits.
Africa's population has reached an estimated 1.58 billion people in 2026, with a median age of 19, while economies across the continent are growing at an annual rate of 4.3 per cent.
Despite those favourable demographics, only about 7 per cent of Africa's population currently uses air travel, one of the lowest penetration rates globally.
AFRAA has proposed a six-point strategy aimed at strengthening the sector, including developing financing solutions for aircraft acquisition with Afreximbank, the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission.
The association is also pushing for greater implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), arguing that existing agreements have yet to translate into fully liberalised markets on the ground.
African airlines currently hold just 37.6 per cent of intercontinental capacity, highlighting what AFRAA describes as a major long-haul connectivity gap.
The organisation has also pointed to progress in aviation safety and airspace efficiency. Through its partnership with the Flight Safety Foundation, AFRAA said its capacity-building initiatives contributed to a 35 per cent improvement in Africa's accident rate in 2025, with the figure dropping to 7.86 accidents per million flights from 12.13 in 2024.
Meanwhile, its Free Route Airspace programme has saved an estimated 5,000 tonnes of fuel annually in West and Central Africa and is now being extended to Eastern and Southern Africa.
Berthé said the sector had the potential to become a major driver of Africa's economic transformation if governments and development partners matched the industry's ambitions with investment and policy reforms.
“We are equally grateful for the partnership of Afreximbank, the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission, whose engagement on financing and infrastructure gives us real momentum to build on," Berthé highlighted.
“With that support matched at scale, African airlines can do what they do best: drive the growth, resilience and connectivity our continent needs.”
