African Aviation Trails

This edition features Mozambique's ambitious US$710.6 million Civil Aviation Master Plan, Kenya's US$1.2 billion Jomo Kenyatta International Airport expansion, South Sudan's airport infrastructure upgrades, Egypt's first Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production project, and Tunisia's renewable energy initiative for airports. It also covers significant airline and industry developments, including airport concessions in Nigeria, maintenance expansion in West Africa, digital payment innovation, humanitarian aviation initiatives, enhanced global airline distribution, and new aviation training programmes. Together, these developments underscore Africa's accelerating efforts to strengthen connectivity, modernize aviation infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, promote sustainability, and position the continent as an increasingly competitive player in the global aviation industry.

Tanzania has upgraded Kilimanjaro Airport’s maintenance facilities to support Air Tanzania and reduce reliance on foreign MRO services. Uganda’s Kabalega (Hoima) Airport is near completion ahead of AFCON 2027, while AfDB has approved $170 million to upgrade Arua Airport into an international-standard facility. Kenya has secured financing partners for a $1.2 billion expansion of JKIA to boost capacity from 7.5 to 22 million passengers. Nigeria plans to link Lagos airports to the rail network to improve access and is also upgrading terminal infrastructure to handle rising traffic.

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French aerospace supplier Daher is relocating part of its Airbus production to Morocco, reinforcing the country's position as a growing aerospace manufacturing hub. Ethiopia inaugurated Negele Borena Geda Airport, Liberia upgraded Roberts International Airport with new navigation and weather systems, Rwanda prioritised aviation investment in its 2026/27 budget, and TAAG Angola Airlines reaffirmed its long-term growth strategy despite a 2025 loss. Meanwhile, Congo announced visa-free entry for all African nationals from 2027, Somalia suspended visa-on-arrival access for Egyptian-bound travellers, and Ghana launched a new e-visa system while waiving visa fees for African passport holders.

This edition features Swissport's expansion into Morocco's air cargo market, South Sudan's inauguration of its first independent air traffic management system, Kenya Airways' deployment of artificial intelligence to optimise revenue management, and Cairo International Airport's launch of a new digital passenger application. It also covers major investments in airport safety and security, including advanced firefighting equipment in Namibia, bird-strike mitigation technology in South Africa, aviation security cooperation in Libya, and drone and cybersecurity development in Togo. In addition, the report examines strong financial performances by EgyptAir and Tunisair, alongside the operational and economic impact of cargo disruptions affecting Kenya's flower exports, underscoring the continent's continued efforts to modernise aviation infrastructure, embrace innovation, strengthen operational efficiency, and enhance its competitiveness in the global air transport industry.