It’s been almost five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the aviation industry has mostly recovered . So, what are the United States’ direct flight connections with the continent of Africa for November 2024 compared to November 2019 before the pandemic? Africa is collectively home to around 1.4 billion people – far more than North and South America combined. According to data from Cirium, flights between the US and Africa have significantly more than recovered from the pandemic.
Airlines flying between the US and Africa
Comparing data for the months of November 2019 and November 2024 for direct flights from Africa to the United States, there has been a notable 33% increase in flights.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
In 2019, seven airlines flew from Africa to the United States – two US airlines and four airlines based in countries in Africa. Two United States-based airlines fly to Africa – Delta Air Lines and United Airlines . American Airlines is notable for not flying to Africa (there are reasons why American Airlines doesn’t fly to Africa ), while Southwest doesn’t even fly to Canada as its system is not set up to receive Canadian dollars .
Airlines flying between the United States and Africa in November 2024
- Royal Air Marco
- EgyptAir
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- Kenya Airways
- Ethiopian Airlines
Two of the six African airlines in 2019 were from North Africa (Royal Air Maroc in Marocco) and EgyptAir. Three airlines from sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, and South African Airways). One airline from the African island nation of Cape Verde (Cabo Verde Airlines) doesn’t fit neatly into the North/Sub-Saharan African divide.
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Change in US-based flights to Africa
Notably, US-based Delta and United have driven the increase in flights between the continents. Overall, the number of monthly flights has increased from 640 to 852, a 33% increase.
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
Delta’s flights increased from 160 in November 2019 to 232 in November 2024. That represents a 45% increase in flights and a total of 59,506 seat capacity for November 2024. Delta is the airline with the most flights and seats between the US and Africa. It flies to South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana (in West Africa), and Morocco.
| Airline: | Flights November 2019 | Flights November 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Air Maroc: | 134 | 112 | -16% |
| Delta Air Lines: | 160 | 232 | +45% |
| Ethiopian Airlines: | 91 | 150 | +65% |
| Kenya Airways: | 44 | 60 | +36% |
| EgyptAir: | 86 | 74 | -14% |
| South African Airways: | 112 | 0 | -100% |
| United Airlines: | 0 | 224 | +100% |
| Cabo Verde Airlines: | 13 | 0 | -100% |
| Total: | 640 | 852 | +33% |
While United lacked any flights to Africa in November 2019, it has 224 scheduled for 225, placing it second after Delta. United’s African destinations are similar to Delta’s: South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Morocco. All of these routes (except for flights from Newark to Marrakesh, Morocco) are served with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. Most are three times a week, although the flights to South Africa’s Johannesburg are daily.
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Marrakech is United Airlines’ fifth destination in Africa.
Change in Africa-based flights to US
Two African-based airlines ( Cabo Verde Airlines and South African Airways ) are no longer scheduled to fly to the US in November 2024. Whereas Ethiopian Airlines may have been a sub-Saharan success story, the same cannot be said for South African Airways. Once the leading airline in sub-Saharan Africa, it collapsed in 2019 but resumed operations in 2021 and is being rebuilt .
Photo: Croatorum | Shutterstock
Despite a large civil war (and a series of other confusing civil wars) ravaging parts of Ethiopia (particularly between 2020 and 2022), the number of Ethiopian Airlines flights to the United States has increased by 65% from 91 flights to 150. That is the largest percentage increase of any airline over that time (from a non-zero starting point).
Ethiopian Airlines has grown to become one of the leading stars of airlines in sub-Saharan Africa and offers some of the best connections for the continent (there are comparatively few inter-African connections). Ethiopian Airlines has made its hub at Addis Ababa a major hub for sub-Saharan Africa in general. Unfortunately, in Western countries Ethiopian Airlines is perhaps better known for Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 , whose Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed in March 2019 (which heralded Boeing’s MAX crisis that continues to buffet the company today).
| Airline | Seats November 2019 | Seats November 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Air Maroc: | 38,508 | 32,368 | -16% |
| Delta Air Lines | 40,044 | 59,506 | +49% |
| Ethiopian Airlines: | 25,155 | 43,136 | +71% |
| Kenya Airways: | 10,296 | 14,040 | +36% |
| EgyptAir: | 26,574 | 24,790 | -7% |
| South African Airways: | 30,780 | 0 | -100% |
| United Airlines: | 0 | 54,024 | +100% |
| Cabo Verde Airlines: | 2,379 | 0 | -100% |
| Total: | 173,736 | 227,864 | +31% |
Photo: Abdul N Quraishi – Abs | Shutterstock
Kenya Airways has also been able to increase its flights to the US by 36%. EgyptAir and Royal Air Maroc have both decreased a little, with 14% fewer flights and 7% fewer seats, and 16% fewer flights and 16% fewer seats, respectively. There are no scheduled Cabo Verde Airlines flights scheduled for November 2024.
Africa is the world’s second-largest continent and has so much to see and do. It is one of the least explored regions of the world and very often gets in the news for all the wrong reasons. Sub-Saharan Africa is best known for its safaris to see the animals, but there is so much more on offer. The comparative dearth of flights to only seven of Africa’s 56 or so countries shows there is much more potential.
Source: Simple Flying
