Africa, home to over 1 billion people—or approximately 13% of the global population—faces a paradox in air travel. Despite its vast size and the significant distances between cities, intra-continental air travel remains markedly limited.
According to IATA, in countries like Nigeria and Ethiopia, the average person takes a return flight only once every 50 years.
The necessity for robust air connectivity in Africa is evident.
The continent’s inadequate East-West rail and road infrastructure, coupled with its expansive distances, shows the critical role of air transport. However, exorbitant costs and restrictive government policies have stymied sector growth.
A recent analysis indicates that opening air transport markets between 12 African countries could potentially enhance their combined GDP by $1.3 billion. The Single African Aviation Market (SAATM), which aims to integrate 28 economies, represents a significant step towards addressing these challenges.
Nevertheless, affordability remains a major impediment. While international airfares from Africa are relatively competitive, the high cost of domestic travel within the continent poses a severe barrier. On average, a return ticket within Africa consumes nearly seven weeks of a person’s national income—compared to less than one week’s income in Europe or North America.
Methodology
Nairametrics examined airfare data from various travel booking sites across the 54 African countries. Using Lagos as the departure point, we evaluated the cost of flights booked for a one-way trip about one week in advance to ensure a representative snapshot of current prices. This approach provides a comprehensive view of the financial impact on travelers and highlights the countries where air travel is particularly costly.
In light of these findings, we present the top 10 most expensive countries to fly to within Africa by air. These destinations exemplify the substantial financial burden faced by travelers and show the pressing need for reform to make air travel more accessible and affordable across the continent.
10. Tunisia
Arrival City: Djerba
Economy Class Round Trip: N3.6 million($2,304)
Business Class Round Trip: N6.2 million – N6.6million($3,968-$4,224)
Economy Fare One Way: N1.6million($1,024)
Business Class One Way: N3.6 million-N4.6million($2,304-$2,624)
Flight Duration: 24hrs 55mins
Available Flights: Tunisair, Air France
Tunisia’s airfare is influenced by its attractive tourist destinations and limited direct flight options.
9. Equatorial Guinea
Arrival City: Malabo Isabel
Economy class Round Trip-N2.7 million to N7.1 million($1,728-$4,544)
Business Class Round Trip-N5.8 million-N9.6 million($3,712-$6,144)
Economy Fare One Way: N1.69 million- N3 million($1,216-$1,920)
Business Class One Way: N5.4 million –N8 million($3,456-$5,120)
Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines, Asky Airlines, Royal Air Maroc
Flight Duration:21hrs50mins
Limited flight options and a remote location contribute to Equatorial Guinea’s high travel costs.
8. Tanzania
Arrival City: Arusha
Economy Class Round Trip: N2.6 million($1,664)
Business Class Round Trip: N/A
Economy Fare One Way: N1.2 million – N3 million($768-$1,920)
Business Class One Way: – N5.4 million($3,356)
Flight Duration: 5hrs 30mins
Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways
7. Mauritius
Arrival City: Mauritius
Economy Class Round Trip:N2.3 million-N4.8 million($1,472-$3,072)
Business Class Round Trip: N5.7 million-N11.6 million($3,648-$7,424)
Economy One way: N1.5 million – N2.2 million($960-$2,994)
Business Class One Way: N4.1 million-N4.6million($2,624-$2,944)
Flight Duration: 11hrs
Available Flights: Air Mauritius, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways
Mauritius’s high airfare reflects its status as a premium travel destination and its distance from Nigeria.
6. Burundi
Arrival City: Bujumbura
Economy Class Round Trip: N2 million-N2.6 million($1,280-$1,664)
Business Class Round Trip: N5.1 million- N6.3 million($3,264-$4,032)
Economy Fare One Way: N1.2 million– N1.7 million($768-$1,008)
Business Class One Way: N3.7 million-N4.5 million($2,368- $2,880)
Flight Duration: 8hrs 30mins
Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways
Burundi’s higher airfare reflects limited direct flights and its distance from major hubs.
5. Malawi
Arrival City: Blantyre
Economy Class Round Trip: N1.9 million-N6.8 million($1,216-$4,352)
Business class Round trip: N5.4 million –N8.5 million($3,456-$5,440)
Economy Fare One Way: N1.9million($1,216)
Business Class One Way: N4.5 million- N5million ($2,880- -$3200)
Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines
Flight Duration: 22hrs 45mins
Both Malawi and Morocco share a tie based on their economy class round trip fare.
5. Morocco
Arrival City: Agadir
Economy Class Round Trip: N1.9 million($1,216)
Business Class Round Trip: N5.04 million($3,225)
Economy Fare One Way: N1.4million($896)
Business Class One Way: N2.7million($1,728)
Flight Duration: 9hrs 30mins
Available Flights: Royal Air Maroc, Air France
Morocco’s travel costs are influenced by its role as a major transit hub and its popularity.
4. Kenya
Arrival City: Jomo Kenyatta
Economy Class Round Trip: N1.6 million –N17 million($1,024-$10,880)
Business Class Round Trip: N5 million-N19 million($3,200-$12,160)
Economy One Way : N1.2 million– N1.7 million($768-$1,008)
Business Class One Way: N3.7 million-N4.5 million($2,368- $2,880)
Flight Duration: 5hrs 55mins
Available Flights: Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Asky Airlines, Air France
Kenya’s costs are driven by its popularity and high-quality service from major airlines.
3. Ethiopia
Arrival City: Addis Ababa
Economy Class Round Trip: N1.5 million- N3 million($960-$1,920)
Business Class Round Trip: N3million-N7.2 million($1,920-$4,608)
Economy One Way: N1.4 million-N1.9 million($896-$1,216)
Business Class One Way: N2.3million- N4.2 million($1,472-$2,668)
Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines
Flight Duration: 5-11hrs
Despite its extensive flight network, Ethiopia’s airfare remains high due to central location and demand.
2. Seychelles
Arrival City: Mahe Island
Economy class Round Trip: N1.3 million-N4.9million($832-$3,136)
Business Class Round Trip: N5.9 million-N10.7 million($3,776-$6,848)
Economy Fare One Way: N1.6million($1,024)
Business Class One Way: N4.5 million- N5.2 million ($2,880- -$3,28)
Available Flights: Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways
Flight Duration: 17hrs 55mins
1. Liberia
Arrival City: Monrovia
Economy Class Round Trip: N1 million-N5.6 million($640-$3,584)
Business class Round trip: N3.5million -N4.1million($2,240-$2,624)
Economy One Way: N2.9million– N4.7million($1,856-$3,008)
Business Class One Way: N10.2 million-N12.5 million($6,528-$8,000)
Available Flights: No direct flights listed; may involve multiple stops.
Flight Duration: 44hrs (with multiple stops)
Liberia tops the list with extraordinarily high costs due to the scarcity of direct flights and long travel duration.
Travel experts believe Africa’s aviation needs reform
Speaking with Nairametrics, Goodluck Raphael, a travel consultant and founder of Kaego, a travel company, highlighted the significant impact of foreign exchange issues on the cost of air travel within Africa. He attributed these challenges to the recent floating and subsequent devaluation of the Naira by both the previous and current administrations.
Raphael also pointed out that there are numerous hidden charges that airlines pass down to customers, such as take-off taxes, hangar fees, and counter usage charges. These additional costs contribute to the overall high cost of flying within the continent.
“Another factor is the issue of demand and supply,” he said. “Generally, the higher the demand, the lower the price; conversely, the lower the demand, the higher the price. The demand for intra-continental flights within Africa is relatively low due to the ingrained perception of traveling within the continent. For instance, people often ask, ‘Why would I go to Dakar when I can go to Qatar?’ or ‘Why visit Kigali when I can go to Bali?’ Most travelers prefer European or other international destinations over African ones.”
Raphael further explained that when demand is low, competition decreases, and fewer airlines operate, leading to limited options for consumers. This lack of competition often results in monopolistic pricing, as seen with some major African airlines.
He also pointed out that infrastructure is another significant issue. “Paved runways are essential, yet there are many infrastructure deficits across the continent, which increases costs for airlines,” Raphael noted.
“In some countries, check-in processes are already automated, which helps reduce operating expenses. However, airlines in Africa often have to navigate around these infrastructural challenges, which inevitably increases their operating costs, ultimately affecting ticket prices for consumers.”
On the other hand about the high cost of fares within Africa, Olumide Ohunayo, the General Secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, explained that the issues plaguing the industry remain largely unresolved.
He pointed out that exchange rates are a major problem for aviation in Africa, particularly because most expenses, such as aircraft maintenance, are covered in dollar-denominated terms. This creates significant financial strain on operators and limits investment in the industry, while these costs are passed down to the end users.
According to him, “It may be cheaper to fly to France before catching a flight to Chad due to poor connectivity, which is the major issue facing Africa’s aviation industry.”