African Aviation Trails

In this trail: African aviation recorded several major safety and operational incidents, including a fatal ground accident involving an Air Burkina Embraer E190 in Ouagadougou, fires that disrupted operations at Lagos and Cape Town airports, and the fatal crash of a Corporate Helicopters AS350B3 in Kenya that claimed all six people on board.

In this trail, safety remained at the forefront of African aviation as a Kenya Airways flight returned safely to Nairobi after poor weather prevented landing in Kigali, while a training flight operated by Excellentia Airline Academy ended in tragedy when a Sling 2 crashed during landing near Pretoria, South Africa, claiming the lives of both pilots onboard.

African aviation experienced several safety-related incidents during the week, including two survivable light aircraft accidents in Namibia and Angola, a fatal Libyan Armed Forces Mil Mi-17 helicopter crash that claimed five lives, and the total loss of a Starsky Aviation Fokker 50 after it overshot the runway during an emergency landing at Mogadishu, with all 55 occupants escaping safely. In Nigeria, an Arik Air Boeing 737 diverted safely to Benin following an engine anomaly, while a United Nigeria Airlines Airbus A320 sustained a bird strike on landing at Port Harcourt, resulting in minor operational disruptions but no injuries.

Ethiopian Airlines resolved a minor aircraft mechanical issue in Liberia without injuries, while Somalia denied landing rights to aircraft carrying Puntland and Jubaland delegations amid political tensions. South Africa recorded two separate training aircraft accidents with no fatalities, and an Air France flight experienced a ground positioning incident in Côte d’Ivoire. In the DRC, security forces foiled a drone attack targeting Kisangani Airport, while investigations into Libya’s December 2025 Falcon 50 crash identified multiple generator failures before the fatal accident. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s FAAN faces mounting opposition from freight agents over proposed airport rent and cargo tariff increases, raising concerns over potential disruptions to cargo operations.

Niger’s Niamey International Airport resumed operations after security forces repelled a coordinated militant attack that damaged aircraft belonging to Air Côte d’Ivoire and ASKY Airlines. In Europe, the death of a passenger following a Smartwings flight from Cape Verde has renewed debate over onboard medical preparedness, while Mauritius temporarily closed its main international airport and Air Mauritius suspended flights due to Cyclone Garance. Meanwhile, Egypt successfully conducted a full-scale emergency response exercise at Cairo International Airport to strengthen operational readiness, and Nigeria’s FAAN launched the country’s first fully electric airport-to-city shuttle service at Abuja Airport, advancing sustainable airport transport.

African aviation security remained in focus as Türkiye investigated the fatal Falcon 50 crash carrying Libya’s military chief, Sudan lost a Bayraktar Akinci combat drone during fighting in South Kordofan, and Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority faced scrutiny over a private jet transiting its airspace en route to Israel, raising oversight concerns.

African aviation faced operational disruptions as a Qatar Airways flight safely made an emergency landing in Lagos following a technical fault, vandalism suspended night operations at Mozambique’s Tete Airport, and severe flooding temporarily restricted access to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, highlighting aviation safety, infrastructure and climate-related operational challenges.

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