We've all heard it a thousand times: it's cheaper - and easier - to fly from Lagos to London than from Lagos to Lusaka. Everyone nods knowingly about Africa's aviation challenges, talks about "open skies," and then... not much changes. But at the 2025 AviaDev Africa conference in Zanzibar, there were actual specifics on the table. Real routes, real demand data, and real examples of what's shifting. The team at ATTA® is bringing developments from AviaDev 2025 that matter for tourism operators across the continent.
The numbers everyone quotes (but what they actually mean)
Yes, Africa has 18% of the world's people but only 2% of global air traffic. But instead of dwelling on that gap, speakers at AviaDev focused on what's actually happening: passenger volumes grew 9% in the first half of 2025, and - this is the kicker - 80% of potential intra-African routes still don't have direct flights. (Source: IATA)
That's not just a statistic. It's why your clients are still routing through Dubai to get from Nairobi to Dakar, and why that amazing lodge in Zambia, for example,stays harder to sell than it should be.
The top 10 underserved African routes
Here's where things got interesting. Global aerospace company Embraer didn't just complain about connectivity, they presented real analysis. Using a demand simulation model built on actual origin-and-destination data, they identified ten intra-African city pairs that are currently unserved but show strong tourism and commercial potential. Each route could be viable with just three weekly flights using 100-seat aircraft.
The ten unserved routes with the highest potential are – in no particular order:
- Lagos – Libreville
- Nairobi – Bamako
- Johannesburg – Kampala
- Addis Ababa – Dakar
- Abidjan – Luanda
- Kinshasa – Bujumbura
- Maputo – Entebbe
- Kigali – Lusaka
- Douala – Nairobi
- Dar es Salaam – Brazzaville
These routes were presented as commercially sensible, based on current demand patterns, and particularly significant for improving access between emerging and established tourism destinations.
Three routes that could transform how we package Africa
Let's get practical. Three of these routes stood out for what they'd mean for tourism operators trying to create compelling multi-destination experiences:
Maputo – Entebbe
This route would link Mozambique's Indian Ocean coast with Uganda's eco-tourism offerings, including national parks and gorilla trekking.
The potential here is packaging beach relaxation and marine activities with primate safaris and conservation-led experiences; a combination that's currently logistically complex but could become seamless.
Kigali – Lusaka
A direct flight here would create a corridor between Rwanda's growing responsible tourism sector and Zambia's established wildlife areas and access to Victoria Falls.
The potential lies in combining cultural and conservation tourism in one trip, while enabling easier links between eco-lodges and national parks in both countries.
Dar es Salaam – Brazzaville
This route would connect Tanzania's coastal hubs with Republic of Congo's emerging eco-tourism destinations, including Odzala-Kokoua National Park.
For tourism operators, this could mean new adventure options for experienced travellers, with less-visited wilderness areas becoming more accessible and encouraging itinerary combinations across East-Central Africa.
Airline realities: What's driving decisions (and what isn’t)
So why haven't these promising routes launched yet? The airline perspectives shared at AviaDev provided honest insight, and the answer isn't what you might expect.
What airlines are actually doing
Ethiopian Airlines continues to expand its network as a pan-African carrier and emphasised its approach to building routes that serve both connectivity and tourism linkages. Notably, Addis Ababa was highlighted not just as a transit hub, but increasingly as a tourism gateway for secondary destinations.
Fastjet and Jambojet, both low-cost carriers, shared how they are supporting affordable regional tourism travel. Fastjet is working to unlock short-haul leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) movement within Southern Africa, while Jambojet is enabling connections from key urban centres to leisure destinations domestically and looking to expand across borders.
Both carriers were frank about the challenges: high costs - especially fuel and fees - and policy inconsistencies remain major obstacles to route expansion and sustainable operations.
But here's what's really holding back new routes
One message came through clearly from multiple speakers: aviation routes don't emerge automatically; they respond to coordinated signals across sectors.
The uncomfortable truth shared by airlines: they won't launch routes based solely on demand projections. They need coordinated support from multiple stakeholders to justify the risk.
New or revived routes are more likely to succeed when tourism boards, private operators, and even individual lodges are willing to support launches through marketing partnerships or policy action. The message for tourism businesses was direct: demand data alone isn't enough. Creative regional collaboration was framed as essential for unlocking new connections.
Infrastructure realities (the stuff that actually matters)
Airports that don't scare tourists away
AviaDev speakers emphasised that airports are no longer just infrastructure, they've become part of the tourism experience. Many African airports are still seen as functional but not welcoming, while improvements in signage, customs processing, and arrivals areas are increasingly important to destination competitiveness. Some countries, like Rwanda and Namibia, were highlighted as already investing in guest-oriented airport experiences.
Visas: slow progress, but progress
The numbers show gradual improvement: 28% of intra-African routes are now visa-free, up from 20% in 2016. (Source: Visa Openess Index) Countries like Rwanda, Ghana, and Namibia now offer visa-on-arrival or e-visa programs. Despite this progress, many travellers still face barriers when planning multi-country itineraries due to inconsistent implementation.
The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) was mentioned frequently as a long-term framework with significant potential, but participants acknowledged it remained under-implemented as of 2025.
The key takeaway? Aviation is not a spectator sport
The conversations at AviaDev 2025 made clear that aviation in Africa is evolving, and tourism businesses have a real role in shaping what comes next.
The routes identified aren't guaranteed to launch, but they represent opportunities for operators willing to design products for the Africa that's emerging, not the one that exists today. Companies that actively engage with route development and adapt their offerings to emerging connectivity patterns will benefit first and most, because every unserved route represents missed revenue for tourism businesses and missed opportunities for travellers.