The dawn of 2024 brought exhilarating news for South Africa Safair (Pty) Ltd and Kenya Airways, as both airlines clinched spots in the top ten for on-time performance in Cirium Data Science‘s prestigious annual review and awards for the Middle East and Africa. On-time performance is a measure of an aircraft’s arrival within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

Safair, securing the first spot in Africa, emerged as the second-best globally and in the EMEA region, earning the title of the leading global low-cost carrier with a remarkable on-time performance of 92.36% out of 55,444 total flights. Only Oman Air surpassed this feat with 96.53% from 45,908 flights. Meanwhile, Kenya Airways secured the second spot in Africa and a solid tenth in the EMEA, boasting a 71.86% on-time arrival from 41,905 flights.

2024 also witnessed the African aviation landscape setting its sights on environmental sustainability. The year took off with East African airlines Safarilink Aviation and #Yellow Wings Air Services, based in Nairobi, Kenya, embarking on a groundbreaking partnership with Surf Air Mobility to electrify their Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft.

Surf Air Mobility, a U.S.-based electric aviation company founded in February 2020, is currently developing electrified powertrain technology for retrofitting Safarilink and Yellow Wings’ Grand Caravans. As the exclusive partner of Textron Aviation, the company aims to electrify the Cessna Grand Caravan, starting with hybrid and later full electric variants. The Cessna Grand Caravan serves as a workhorse for bush safari and regional operators in Africa, with Safarilink leading the charge in the East African region.

This collaboration aligns with Surf Air Mobility’s vision of reinventing flying through electrification within regional air mobility, aiming to provide a travel option that addresses cost, time, and environmental impact. Despite Safarilink and Yellow Wings’ existing involvement in sustainability and wildlife conservation efforts, their flight operations were not entirely environmentally friendly. According to Alex Avedi, CEO of Safarilink, this partnership aims to reduce noise and minimize climate impact, contributing to the transformation of regional aviation in Kenya and East Africa. Christian Strebel of Yellow Wings echoed Avedi’s sentiments, emphasizing the goal of leveraging Kenya’s impressive 91% carbon-free power generation in their pursuit of sustainable regional aviation.