African Airlines

African Airlines offer a valuable service to a continent that's large and doesn't have the best roads, especially during the rainy season. If you don't have a lot of time when you visit Africa you'll certainly use an African airline to get from place to place. There are some very dependable regional African passenger airlines and more are coming. For many destinations in Africa you will usually fly through Europe or an African hub like Nairobi, Addis Ababa or Johannesburg.

I've made a list of all African Airlines and have sorted them per country in alphabetical order. I've also noted the basic routes each airline flies. It's a handy tool if you're trying to figure out how to get to Ouagadougou or Lilongwe and other more obscure African capitals.

You can also use the information to get some free stop overs. For example, if you're flying to Johannesburg from the US, why not try EgyptAir and stop over in Cairo for a few days. The price is usually competitive with more direct routes. Likewise, next time you plan a trip to Europe from the US, fly there with Royal Air Moroc and treat your family to a few days in Marrakech. Their prices to France are the same as any other airline, sometimes cheaper.

Oh, and if you're concerned about the safety record on some African airlines, it's not that bad. Avoid the old Russian planes if you can, but many of the fleets are new and more are being added.

Image of Air Namibia plane by Michael Daecher