Rising connectivity means freight sector is also expanding

▶ Iata says African airlines fly less than 2% of global freight, but are the fastest growing for two years

It is not just African passenger travel that is expanding — cargo shipments by air are also on the move.

African airlines fly less than 2 per cent of global freight, but have been the fastest growing for almost two years, according to the International Air Transport Association.

By last January freight volumes were up nearly 25 per cent than they were for African routes, for the same period the year before.

Iata notes that much of this is between Africa and Asia; “Demand has been boosted by very strong growth in Africa-Asia trade which increased by more than 64 per cent in the first 11 months of last year,” the group says.

The speed at which the African air freight market is growing is attracting attention. German global logistics firm DHL said last month it would partner with Ethiopian Airlines — Africa’s largest air cargo carrier.

DHL plans to start using Ethiopian Airlines’ network to deliver its cargo.

“With Ethiopia’s projected GDP per capita growth of about 6 per cent through 2022, there will be growing demand for logistics support from business,” says Tewolde Gebre Mariam, group chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines.

Expanding air passenger and freight travel is helped by the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), signed by 23 countries in January this year. This “open skies” agreement is the liberalisation of commercial aviation to create a free-market environment.

Airlines can fly between any two African cities without having to do so via their home hub airport. Previously, a carrier based in the UK, for instance, would only travel between African cities via London.

Even if interconnectivity improves, though, these stopover flights will not end entirely anytime soon, says Mory Camara, international account manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa at OAG, a digital flight data platform that assists airlines in scheduling.

African travellers have come to see stopovers in hubs such as Abu Dhabi as an opportunity to go shopping or meet with expatriate family.

“Many people in Africa have businesses or family in these connecting points outside of Africa and will frequently combine a business trip with a family reunion,” Mr Camara says.

The SAATM will also open the way to reducing African departure fees, which the World Bank says are on average 30 per cent higher than anywhere else in the world.

The aviation sector on the continent certainly seems primed for take-off.

Along with “open skies” and lower airport charges will hopefully come the relaxation of inter-Africa visa restrictions. Right now, many African states only issue embassy visas, making it difficult for travellers to move from country to country.