Africa’s national airlines spring up from the dead

 

Concerns have been raised about the nationalisation of several airlines. Many African countries are beginning to revive their dead airlines amid the springing up of national carriers across Africa under different market arrangements, writes WOLE SHADARE

The wave of state-owned airlines is beginning to gain traction. It is an indication of how important aviation is to the governments in driving the economic engines of their different nations.

The huge ceremony that accompanied the inaugural flight of Air Tanzania to Lagos, Nigeria, on Saturday really shows that many African nations are beginning to have a rethink and make the carrier not only sustainable but profitable.

Air Tanzania’s foray into West Africa

Air Tanzania seems to be coming with a lot of promise, having acquired 16 wide-body and narrow-body aircraft to expand its operations and help connect the African continent, which is poorly connected by air.

The airline’s operations to Nigeria are the first time the carrier is connecting West Africa from its hub at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Air Tanzania Corporation (ATC) was established in 1977 after the dissolution of East African Airways and has been a member of the African Airlines Association since its inception.

The airline was wholly owned by the Tanzanian government until 2002, when it was partially privatised in partnership with South African Airways, but the government repurchased the shares in 2006, making it once again a wholly owned government company.

The Tanzanian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Selestine Gervas Kakele, said the operation of the airline to Nigeria signifies cooperation between both nations, adding that the Tanzanian President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, had clearly demonstrated commitment to repositioning Air Tanzania.

He noted that the cooperation between Nigeria and Tanzania established in 1971 by both nations’ founding fathers would further be deepened with Air Tanzania’s three times weekly flight operations, as it plans to increase the frequencies as business improves.

Kakele expressed gratitude to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for the speedy approval of its request to begin air services to the country and thanked the Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Chris Najomo, for granting a landing permit to the airline.

The narrative of Air Tanzania and its troubles for more than four decades has not deterred the East African nation from forging ahead with its national airline after many years of turbulent times.

The country appears to be getting its act together with the relentless effort to use aviation to solve its economic issues.

Global presence

National airlines, be it privatised or fully owned, are important to countries because they foster economic growth by creating jobs, boosting trade and tourism, and generating revenue; they also serve as symbols of national identity and sovereignty, ensuring connectivity and a global presence for nations, especially those that are landlocked or tourism-dependent

While offering significant economic and symbolic benefits, national airlines face challenges such as high operating costs and the need for government support to remain viable.

Several African nations, including  Mali and Niger, are establishing or reviving national airlines to assert sovereignty, boost economic growth, and improve connectivity, despite the financial and operational challenges that have historically plagued many African carriers.

While some projects, like a potential joint venture between the Sahel countries, are still in the planning stages, others, such as the revival of Ghana’s national carrier and the establishment of new airlines like Niger Air International and Mali Airlines, are moving forward to fill connectivity gaps and challenge reliance on foreign carriers.

Nigeria, Ghana take back seat

Nigeria and Ghana rank among African countries that do not have functional national carriers. Big countries in Africa like Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, São Tomé and Príncipe have revived or are on the verge of reviving their national airlines.

Others are Botswana, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Nigeria’s case with that of Ghana looks similar. More than three times, both nations came up with the idea of floating national airlines for their countries, but they ended up under controversy, high power play and outright sabotage by so many interests that do not want the project to succeed, even though they lack a clear strategy on how to fill the void left by the absence of a functional national carrier.

Take Nigeria, for example. It’s the most populous country in Africa, a huge market, and massive potential. And yet, it currently has no national airline. From 1958 to 2003, Nigeria Airways proudly carried the flag. It had everything from Boeing 737s and 747s to Airbus A310s. But after decades of financial trouble, the airline was grounded for good.

Emirates instantly brings the UAE to mind, and Qantas proudly flies as ‘The Spirit of Australia. These national carriers are symbols of national pride, identity, and ambition.

But while many countries have them, some African countries are still without a functional national airline.

Costly mistakes

However, years of underfunding, political interference, corruption, and poor infrastructure have grounded many national carrier dreams before they could take flight.

Some national airlines have collapsed under the weight of debt. Others have been lost in a tangle of bureaucracy or ended up as cautionary tales of mismanagement.

Since then, Nigeria has tried, again and again, to launch a new national carrier. By some counts, there’ve been several attempts.

The most recent, Nigeria Air, even got as far as unveiling branding and aircraft. But like those before it, the project has stalled, caught in a web of political wrangling and public scepticism.

Below are the African countries without a functional national airline as of June 2025:

Benin	Nigeria	Central African Republic
Comoros	Niger	Ghana
Guinea	South Sudan	Lesotho
	Mali	Niger
Eritrea	Chad	Liberia
Somalia	Togo	Guinea-Bissau

 

In contrast, several African nations are reviving or expanding their flag carriers. Ethiopia’s state-owned Ethiopian Airlines remains a model of success. Countries like Ethiopia (Ethiopian Airlines), Rwanda (RwandAir), Tanzania (Air Tanzania), Kenya (Kenya Airways), Morocco (Royal Air Maroc), Egypt (EgyptAir), among others, continue to invest in their national fleets.

Despite the daunting history of national airlines, there are good reasons to do so. Tourism, particularly from China, as well as business travel, are up. Yet Africa’s fragmented airspace makes the continent hard to access.

Benefits

National carriers can promote the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) by expanding their routes and operations across Africa, investing in modern, market-suitable fleets, and prioritising on-time performance and consistent service delivery.

Airlines should also engage in partnerships and alliances, invest in customer service, offer competitive fares, and collaborate with governments and regulators to foster a conducive environment for liberalised air travel and infrastructure development.

Outdated model

There was a time when most airlines were backed by the state. These flag carriers paved the way for 21st-century aviation, but over the years, ownership has changed. Now, it’s less attractive for countries to own their own airlines, and many have privatised what were once their national carriers. But with COVID bailouts seeing governments becoming more heavily involved in their carriers, we could see a return of more state-owned airlines.

The notion of a flag-carrying airline is somewhat outdated today. Although the term is still used to describe the major airline of the given country, it no longer relates to the ownership of that business.

When aviation took off in the early part of the 20th century, world powers created their own state-owned airlines.

British Airways was established in 1974, South African Airways in 1934, and Emirates in 1985. The airlines were seen as an international calling card for the nations, literally flying the flag for their country around the world.

But, as airlines matured and competition became a factor, privatisation began to creep in. The explosion of low-cost carriers in the 1990s disadvantaged the old guard, encouraging some governments to step back into minority ownership or to give over the airline to the private sector entirely.

Many more big-name airlines have moved to the private sector. Qantas, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada… the list goes on. And yet, many airlines have remained stoically attached to their national governments, and that number could be set to increase.

Conclusion

While some airlines never left the folds of their state mother’s dress, others have been privatised, only to now be risking re-nationalisation. The crisis in the industry has led to unprecedented levels of government support being dished out, some of which has come with strings attached.

 

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