Why an integrated aviation ecosystem is crucial for Kenya, Africa's future

CEO Kenya Airways Allan Kilavuka address during KQ sponsorship of Safari Rally drivers ahead of world safari rally to be held in Naivasha, Kenya. June 9, 2021. [File, Standard]

Africa is disproportionately represented statistically, particularly in terms of social and economic progress. These metrics depict Africa as significantly underserved. For example, the percentage of global airline passengers in 2023 was only 2.9 per cent in Africa compared to 26 per cent in Europe and 46 per cent in the Middle East. To contextualise this, Africa's population is 18 per cent of the global population. The same can be said of the continent's share of cargo uplifted. It is a fraction of the global total.

Two important facts may help Africa and, specifically, Kenya improve this statistic. The first is that Africa needs to scale up its aviation assets to support growth in the continent. This entails significant increases in the sizes of airports, airlines and operators. The second is that aviation players need to work closer together in order for the ecosystem to function seamlessly. This way, more benefits are derived from a better-functioning ecosystem focusing solely on aviation users or customers.