Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, South African Airways, RwandAir, Ethiopian Airlines  top airlines Sub-Saharan African travelers fly to Europe

Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, South African Airways, RwandAir, Ethiopian Airlines  top airlines Sub-Saharan African travelers fly to Europe

These airlines offer direct or connecting flights from various hubs in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Kinshasa, to major European cities.

African airlines

South African Airways: A flag carrier of South Africa, offering flights to over 40 international destinations, including Europe.

There is no specific public data detailing the percentage of sub-Saharan Africans flying to Europe specifically on South African Airways (SAA). However, SAA operates several intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub, and South Africa is the most-served sub-Saharan African market from Europe. The number of routes has been impacted by recent events, and data is not available to provide a percentage. 

• South African Airways operates several intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub.
• South Africa is the most-served sub-Saharan African market from Europe based on non-stop capacity, although there has been a recent decrease in departing seats compared to pre-pandemic levels.
• Official statistics do not break down passenger percentages by specific airline and region

RwandAir: Connects African travelers to Europe.

The specific percentage of RwandAir passengers flying to Europe who originate from other points within Sub-Saharan Africa is not publicly disclosed in the available information. 

RwandAir’s public data and reports focus on overall revenue, total passenger growth projections, and network expansion, but do not provide a detailed breakdown of passenger origin points for specific international routes. The airline does state that over 60% of its traffic comes from transit passengers, indicating a large portion of international travelers connect through its Kigali hub. 

RwandAir’s strategy heavily relies on positioning Kigali as a regional hub to connect the African continent with the rest of the world, including Europe. Passengers flying to Europe are often connecting from various other Sub-Saharan African destinations that the airline serves, such as Lagos, Abuja, Cape Town, and others. 

Ethiopian Airlines: Flies from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe. While a specific overall percentage isn’t available, Ethiopian Airlines’ passenger data shows that approximately 12% of its connecting passengers travel between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, with a specific route connecting Western Europe to Eastern Africa accounting for 14% of its transfer passengers. This indicates that a significant portion of passengers use the airline for travel between the two regions. 

• Overall connection: Around 12% of Ethiopian Airlines’ connecting passengers travel between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, with a breakdown of 14% on the Western Europe-Eastern Africa route and 7% on the Western Europe-Southern Africa route.
• Key routes: The airline facilitates travel between a wide range of African and European destinations, with significant traffic on the Western Europe-Eastern Africa and Western Europe-Southern Africa routes.
• Regional hubs: Ethiopian Airlines’ Addis Ababa hub plays a key role in connecting passengers between the regions

European and other airlines

Brussels Airlines: Has a significant network connecting African cities like Nairobi, Kinshasa, and Freetown to its hub in Brussels.

There is no public data available to state the exact percentage of sub-Saharan Africans flying to Europe on Brussels Airlines. However, Brussels Airlines does operate flights between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, serving destinations in countries like Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and also has a significant number of European destinations. 

• Flight routes: Brussels Airlines flies to both Europe and Africa. Its African destinations include Cotonou (Benin), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Douala and Yaoundé (Cameroon), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), and Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo).
• Hub and network: The airline’s hub is at Brussels Airport, and it serves as a hub for the Lufthansa Group. This network likely facilitates connections for passengers traveling between sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of Europe. 

Lufthansa: Offers connections from cities like Johannesburg and Kinshasa to its hub in Frankfurt.

There is no specific data available to state the exact percentage of Sub-Saharan African travelers who fly with Lufthansa to Europe. However, Lufthansa and its sister airlines hold a significant share of the aviation market between Europe and Africa, with Lufthansa and KLM each having approximately 16% of the seats on the Europe-South Africa route alone. The Lufthansa Group offers extensive connectivity, serving many destinations across both continents via its hub cities.

Market position: In the specific market between Europe and South Africa, Lufthansa and KLM are the second-largest operators, each with about 16% of the seats, according to a 2024 data analysis from CAPA and OAG.

Broad network: The Lufthansa Group (which includes airlines like Brussels Airlines, the Flagship Airline of Belgium) has a vast network, providing over 14,000 weekly connections to 330 destinations across around 100 countries, including many in Europe and Africa.

Route examples: Lufthansa offers direct flights from Germany to various African countries, such as flights from Cologne/Bonn to Johannesburg.

Air France: Provides flights from sub-Saharan Africa to its hub in Paris.

While a specific overall percentage is not available, Air France holds a 9.7% seat share for flights between Europe and South Africa, and a 7.1% seat share for flights between Europe and the rest of Africa in 2023. For the Europe-Africa market, Air France was ranked second in 2023, but its share was larger in 2024 when considering flights only to South Africa, at 9.7%. 

• Europe to South Africa: Air France held a 9.7% seat share in 2024, making it the airline with the fourth-highest share in this specific market.
• Europe to the rest of Africa: In 2023, Air France had a 7.1% seat share for all Europe-to-Africa routes, making it the second-largest airline in that market.
• Combined data: The total percentage of sub-Saharan African passengers flying to Europe on Air France cannot be calculated because the available data segments the market into different regions and timeframes. 

Delta: Partners with several European and African airlines to offer flights to Europe.

How to choose

Check routes and hubs: Consider the airline’s main hub (e.g., Brussels Airlines from Brussels, Lufthansa from Frankfurt) to find the most direct route from your location.

Compare prices: Use flight search engines like momondo or KAYAK to compare prices across different airlines.

Look at the airline’s network: Airlines like Brussels Airlines are expanding their service across sub-Saharan Africa, so check their website for the most up-to-date routes and frequencies.