If you’re planning a trip to Africa, it’s likely that you’ll visit more than one location, whether it’s two spots in the same country or a cross-border tour of several nations. Consequently, you’ll need to consider how you want to travel from one destination to another.
The Benefits of Flying
Often, the distances between your selected destinations are considerable; for instance, it’s 1,015 miles (1,635 kilometers) from Cape Town to Durban in South Africa. Therefore, driving can consume too much of your valuable vacation time. In various African countries, the road conditions are frequently poor, making overland journeys even more tedious. In some regions, the presence of corrupt traffic officers, livestock on the road, and high accident rates add to the difficulties of traveling by car—making domestic flights an appealing alternative.
Why Fly With the National Airline?
Budget and private airlines in Africa often experience instability, whereas national airlines typically present more stability. To avoid the inconvenience of your chosen airline ceasing operations before your flight, it is advisable to fly with the national carrier where feasible. Internationally, African airlines have faced a reputation for safety issues; however, many national carriers (such as South African Airways and Ethiopian Airlines) offer service comparable to first-world airlines. This article outlines the national airline for each African country.
Countries without an official airline are not listed; however, private carriers may be accessible. Routes are subject to change and should be verified prior to travel.
National Airlines by Country
Algeria
- Air Algérie is the national airline of Algeria, servicing 32 domestic airports and offering flights to 43 international destinations.
Angola
- TAAG serves as Angola’s official airline, providing 13 domestic routes and flights to various cities in Africa, Europe, and Latin America.
Botswana
- Air Botswana, the flag carrier of Botswana, operates four domestic routes (to Francistown, Gaborone, Kasane, and Maun) and offers flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa.
Burkina Faso
- Air Burkina is Burkina Faso’s national airline, providing one domestic route (between Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso) and connecting to seven other West African nations.
Cape Verde
- TACV Cabo Verde Airlines serves as the national airline of Cape Verde, flying to two domestic destinations and offering routes to Boston as well as selected cities in Brazil and Europe.
Cameroon
- Camair-Co is the flag carrier for Cameroon, offering flights to several destinations in Central and West Africa, as well as to Paris, France.
Chad
- Tchadia Airlines is the latest flag carrier for Chad, established in 2018, and provides scheduled flights to five Chadian destinations and several other African cities, including Niamey, Kano, and Khartoum.
Cote d’Ivoire
- Air Côte d’Ivoire is the national carrier for the Ivory Coast, offering flights between six domestic destinations and several international routes throughout Central and West Africa. Additionally, it operates a service to New York City in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Congo Airways is the official airline of the DRC, offering flights to eight domestic destinations.
Djibouti
- Air Djibouti serves as the flag carrier for Djibouti and is sometimes referred to as the Red Sea Airline, offering connections to Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Middle East.
Egypt
- EgyptAir is the country’s national airline and one of the largest carriers in Africa, providing flights to over 80 destinations throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East, including various domestic routes.
Eritrea
- Eritrean Airlines serves as the national carrier for Eritrea, connecting Asmara to Khartoum, Cairo, Jeddah, Dubai, and Milan.
Eswatini
- Eswatini Airlink is the national carrier for Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), providing connections throughout Southern and East Africa via partnerships with South African Airways, South African Express, and South African Airlink.
Ethiopia
- Ethiopian Airlines has one of Africa’s most extensive networks, offering services to over 120 domestic and international destinations, including cities in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.
Kenya
- Kenya Airways is the national airline of Kenya and another significant carrier in Africa, serving various destinations in Asia and Europe, along with 43 locations across the continent.
Libya
- Libyan Airlines is Libya’s flag carrier, offering flights to over 20 domestic and international destinations.
Madagascar
- Air Madagascar is the national airline of Madagascar, servicing five domestic routes from Antananarivo. It also connects passengers to the Comoros, Reunion, Mauritius, Kenya, and South Africa, as well as destinations in France, Thailand, and China.
Malawi
- Malawian Airlines provides domestic flights between Lilongwe and Blantyre, as well as services to major Southern and East African cities including Johannesburg, Dar-es-Salaam, and Nairobi.
Mauritania
- Mauritania Airlines serves as the flag carrier for Mauritania, operating 11 destinations across West and North Africa, along with flights to Las Palmas in the Spanish Canary Islands.
Mauritius
- Air Mauritius has a vast domestic and international network, providing flights to numerous locations in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Morocco
- Royal Air Maroc is Morocco’s national airline, often abbreviated to RAM, and is a major African carrier serving over 80 destinations in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East.
Mozambique
- LAM is Mozambique’s national airline, connecting 10 domestic destinations and flying to four major Southern African cities including Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Harare, and Nairobi.
Namibia
- Air Namibia flies to six Namibian destinations and 11 locations in Africa, additionally offering a regular non-stop service to Frankfurt, Germany.
Rwanda
- RwandAir operates multiple routes within Rwanda and throughout Africa, in addition to offering direct flights to various cities in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
São Tomé & Príncipe
- STP Airways serves as the flag carrier of this West African archipelago, connecting São Tomé island with Príncipe island and running services to Lisbon, Portugal.
Senegal
- Air Senegal is the latest flag carrier for Senegal, established in 2016, offering flights between Dakar and Ziguinchor in Senegal, along with several other West African destinations. Plans are in place for services to Paris and São Paulo.
Seychelles
- Air Seychelles is the national airline of Seychelles, offering flights to 62 global destinations through its alliance with Etihad Airways.
South Africa
- South African Airways is South Africa’s flag carrier and one of the continent’s largest airlines, connecting 14 local destinations, 18 across Africa, and nine international destinations—including London, Perth, and Washington, D.C.
Sudan
- Sudan Airways operates from Khartoum to four destinations within Sudan and serves eight other cities in Africa and the Middle East, which include Cairo, Addis Ababa, and Jeddah.
Tanzania
- Air Tanzania provides flights to 20 destinations, including domestic cities like Arusha, Kigoma, and Dar-es-Salaam, as well as international cities like Johannesburg, Mumbai, and Guangzhou.
Tunisia
- Tunisair is the national airline of Tunisia, servicing destinations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, in addition to a single flight to North America (Montréal).
Zimbabwe
- Air Zimbabwe operates between three key destinations in Zimbabwe: Harare, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls. The airline also connects to Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam.
