Air transport: a costly, but unavoidable necessity to the development of African value chains

A few months ago we highlighted in this post that due to the Africa’s geography, the long distances between production and consumption markets, and the high number of landlocked countries, air transport plays in this continent a role much more important than in other regions. The Africa Infrastructure Report 2025, launched today by the Africa Finance Corporation, confirms our conclusions. It points out, as we did, that air transport plays a uniquely crucial role in Africa's industrial and agricultural value chains, primarily due to the continent's challenging geography and the widespread presence of areas with difficult terrain and low population density.

Air cargo offers a solution to the significant geographical challenges within African supply chains. It connects distant production and processing facilities, and importantly, helps to offset the continent's insufficient road infrastructure. Therefore, air transport is a crucial element for enhancing the efficiency and connectivity of African logistics. However, while air transport offers the undeniable advantage of speed, it typically comes at a significant premium. Air transport is generally the most expensive mode of transport for goods compared to sea, rail, and road freight. Several factors, such as limited cargo capacity (in terms of both weight and volume) and the airlines' very high operational costs, contribute to push cost prices up. These factors include the high fuel consumption of aircrafts, complex and frequent maintenance needs needed to meet rigorous safety standards, and high fees requested for using the air transport infrastructure, like landing charges, hangar charges, security fees, and many other various surcharges.

Despite these cost challenges, the African Union (AU) recognizes the strategic importance of air transport for the continent's economic integration. To this end, it launched in January 2018 the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), a flagship project that aims to reduce the cost of air transport by creating a unified market for air services across Africa, thereby incentivizing its use for cargo and fostering greater connectivity.

The positive impact of air transport is evident in countries like Ethiopia and Kenya, mentioned in the Africa Infrastructure Report 2025. Ethiopia has strategically leveraged its airport infrastructure to bolster its textile and garment industry. This sector has greatly benefited from the speed and reliability of such mode of transport, enabling timely exports and supporting its growth. Similarly, Kenya has successfully capitalized on air cargo to become a major exporter of fresh produce and flowers, commodities that demand rapid delivery to maintain freshness and value.

These examples powerfully demonstrate the aviation's vital role as a key enabler for industrial and agricultural value chains, especially for those African nations that are hampered by challenging geography or insufficient road and rail infrastructure. As African economies continue to expand and diversify, the strategic importance of air transport is likely to grow. The new Africa Infrastructure Report reinforces the argument that for many African nations, particularly those that are landlocked or face challenging topographic conditions, air transport is not merely a luxury, but a strategic imperative for unlocking economic potential. While its costs remain a significant hurdle, initiatives like SAATM are vital steps toward making air cargo more accessible and affordable. To truly capitalize on this, these initiatives must be accelerated by dismantling regulatory barriers that often protect national operators in African countries and by increasing connections between various destinations in the continent. Such reforms would help reduce costs, facilitating seamless integration between air and other transport modes. This would enable the continent to continue leveraging air transport to bridge infrastructure gaps, facilitate trade, and drive growth in crucial industrial and agricultural sectors. As emphasized by the Africa Finance Corporation, continued focus on optimizing and expanding air transport is essential for Africa's broader economic development and integration.