What Easy and Cheap Flights To and Within Africa Mean

• Full SAATM implementation could increase African air travel by 51%, removing barriers like high fares and limited flights for over 15 million passengers
• Aviation could generate $190 billion in GDP and 16 million jobs by 2043, while tourism could add another $168 billion and 18 million jobs 
• Cheaper air travel would make education more accessible for international students and create skilled job opportunities across the continent 
• Affordable flights would improve healthcare access, allowing patients to travel for specialised medical treatment and enabling faster emergency response

Affordable and seamless intra-African air travel promises benefits that extend far beyond the aviation sector itself. Back in 2022, the African Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC) projected that intra-Africa traffic volumes could increase by up to 51% if the Single African Air Transport Market(SAATM) initiative is fully implemented.

Such a rise, according to InterVISTAS, a consultancy firm for strategic aviation, would bring the total traffic to 47.1 million. This means there are more than 15 million continental passengers who are prevented from travelling by expensive fares, flight scarcity, and lack of convenient services.

For decades, these factors have stifled the scaling of air travel across the African continent, limiting opportunities for tourism, trade, and cultural exchange, just to name a few sectors. Resolving these issues, however, holds tremendous potential. Here’s what that could mean.

Increased Trade, Economic Growth, & More Jobs

The broader economic impact could be transformative. Air transport supports 8.1 million jobs in the region and $75 billion in GDP. By 2043, this is forecast to increase to 16 million jobs and $190 billion in GDP, according to the Air Transport Action Group’s projections. 

For every $1 commercial aviation spends, there’s a resulting $6 of economic activities. This finding by the World Economic Forum is indicative of the broader economic impact that a thriving aviation sector could have for Africa. 

As of 2025, IATA says aviation only contributes $75 billion to the continent’s GDP, creating just 8.1 million jobs, which translates to one in every 61 jobs. Investment in affordable aviation could easily be a powerful economic multiplier.

And the resulting benefits would reshape regional integration fundamentally. Enhanced air connectivity would increase cross-border trade, making it easier for businesses to expand across African markets. Small and medium enterprises, currently constrained by high travel costs, could access new markets and supply chains.

The vision of a connected Africa, where an entrepreneur in Nigeria can easily hop a flight to meet a client in Lusaka, or a family in Dakar can vacation affordably in neighbouring countries, represents more than convenience; it’s about economic transformation.

Rise in Tourism

Tourism is tied to multiple sectors of the economy, where its impact can have far-reaching benefits. Already, it creates over 25 million jobs in the continent, which is almost 6% of all jobs in the region. At a recent summit in Kigali, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said that Africa has the potential to unlock an additional $168 billion from tourism (bringing the total to over $350 billion), which would add an extra 18 million jobs, but this was dependent on full implementation policies that seek to improve air infrastructure, remove visa restrictions, and enhance tourism marketing.

A no-visa Africa with lower fares and freer skies would encourage not just foreign travelers but also encourage Africans to discover their continent’s destinations, and this would open more opportunities for growth in multiple sectors.

Progress in Education

One of the goals for AU Agenda 2063 is a well-educated mass and skills revolution founded on science, technology and innovation. 

In their pursuit of this goal, the AU, through the Africa Civil Aviation Authority(AFCAC), says that liberalising air travel will improve educational access by making it easier for international students to travel abroad for their studies.

Also, a thriving aviation industry would open more opportunities for highly skilled positions requiring various levels of specialised training and education. And with easy labour mobility, human capital movement across the continent would help to grow the sector further.

Educational and cultural exchanges would also flourish with reduced travel barriers. Universities could develop stronger partnerships and cultural ties between African nations would strengthen.

Improved Healthcare

With affordable air travel and a “borderless” Africa also comes improved healthcare access, as patients could more easily travel for specialised medical care in regional centres of excellence. 

Emergency response capabilities would improve, enabling faster deployment of resources during crises. Even family connections would strengthen, as the African diaspora within the continent could maintain closer ties despite geographical distances.

Ultimately, affordable intra-African air travel represents a cornerstone of continental integration, with the potential to unlock economic opportunities, strengthen social bonds, and position Africa as a more unified and competitive player in the global