RwandAir Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Makolo warned during the Africa Mindset Reset Forum that high operating costs, steep airport charges, and fuel prices make flying within Africa exceptionally expensive, urging governments to fully implement the Single African Air Transport Market and drop visa barriers to boost regional connectivity.
Africa accounts for roughly 1.4 billion people but represents only about two percent of global air traffic, a stark imbalance that Makolo attributes to restrictive policies, heavy taxation, and infrastructure bottlenecks. Yvonne Manzi Makolo, chief executive of the national carrier RwandAir, emphasized that aviation on the continent remains burdened by layers of fees imposed before airlines even calculate their own ticket prices.
High Operating Costs and Fuel Premiums Burden African Carriers
Airlines operating in Africa face fuel prices that run 20 to 40 percent higher than in other regions of the world. According to Makolo’s remarks at the Africa Mindset Reset Forum, these inflated fuel costs combine with steep airport taxes, ground-handling fees, and overflight charges to inflate ticket prices long before commercial carriers factor in their own operational overhead.
In an interview with the International Air Transport Association, Makolo noted that travel within Africa can become prohibitively expensive due to the cumulative cost of visas, airport charges, and taxes levied on aviation fuel. High operating costs restrict market growth, forcing carriers to fight for a tiny piece of the pie by maintaining restrictive barriers that fragment the regional market.
The Push for the Single African Air Transport Market
Now, more than ever we need a single African aviation market,
Makolo highlighted in her interview with IATA, adding that the time for talking is over and we must get on with the implementation.
While African nations have signed the Single African Air Transport Market framework, many continue to restrict fifth-freedom rights—the commercial aviation privileges allowing an airline from one country to land in a second nation, pick up passengers or cargo, and carry them on to a third. Governments also limit carriers from operating out of additional points within their domestic territories, which stymies the creation of efficient regional networks.
We’ve signed SAATM.
Yvonne Makolo, Chief Executive Officer, RwandAir, via Allafrica
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, noted in the agency’s latest report that while domestic markets show a moderate rebound in passenger demand, international traffic recovery remains stalled due to lingering border restrictions and quarantine mandates.
RwandAir Fleet Expansion and Intra-African Trade Integration
Despite pandemic-driven contractions that forced the airline to suspend thinner routes, RwandAir has begun rebuilding its network by opening new connections to cities such as Lubumbashi and Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The airline currently serves 26 routes across the continent and beyond, with additional flights to Doha, Qatar, scheduled for next month.
Looking ahead, Makolo indicated that RwandAir expects to double its fleet size over the next five years through organic growth. Cargo operations are set to play a larger role in diversifying revenue streams, particularly alongside the African Continental Free Trade Area, which has operated since the start of 2021.
Projections cited by the airline estimate that the trade agreement will increase intra-African trade by more than 50 percent in its first year alone by removing tariffs on 90 percent of goods. Makolo stressed that lowering visa barriers alongside aviation restrictions is essential to capitalizing on that economic momentum.
Addressing Gender Representation in African Aviation
Beyond route maps and tariff reforms, leadership at RwandAir has advocated for stronger representation of women across the aviation sector. Makolo expressed support for IATA’s 25by2025 voluntary campaign, which encourages member airlines to improve female representation in the industry to a minimum of 25 percent.
However, she noted that the industry is still not moving fast enough to elevate women into senior executive roles. Pointing to domestic benchmarks, Makolo noted that Rwanda’s parliament is 61 percent female and its cabinet exceeds 50 percent women, contrasting sharply with the male-dominated demographics typically found at international aviation conferences.
Makolo concluded that treating aviation as an economic necessity rather than a luxury will determine whether the continent can build a market where ordinary citizens can afford to travel, trade, and connect across borders.
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