At the 2025 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Algiers, some delegations — including Kenya’s — had to fly via Paris, with trips stretching to 15 hours instead of a direct six-hour route.

The reason: no direct flights linking Nairobi and Algiers. The route is deemed commercially unviable, and most flights transit through European hubs such as Paris. Airlines like Air France and Tunisair dominate the connection.

Although the Nairobi and Algiers are about 5,200 km apart, the main barrier is political and regulatory, particularly around Open Skies agreements. Instead, African routes often detour through Cairo, Jeddah, Istanbul, or even Dubai to Algiers.

Many African states, including Kenya and Algeria, have been reluctant to implement the Fifth Freedom of the Air, which allows airlines to pick up passengers travelling between two foreign countries on a single route.

Without this, East African carriers such as Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, and Uganda Airlines cannot offer cost-effective stopovers, which would reduce fares and improve connectivity.

Most flights are often routed via non-African hubs such as Paris, Istanbul, Dubai, Doha and Amsterdam. This adds to costs and travel time, with fares being pushed up by limited competition, the absence of low-cost regional airlines, and heavy regulatory fees.

According to the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), as of June 2025, Third and Fourth Freedom rights accounted for 39 percent each of intra-African capacity, while Fifth Freedom operations were just 22 percent.

The East African Community has drafted regulations to liberalise air transport, but these remain pending adoption. Without implementation, travel costs remain among the world’s highest.

High costs, weak competition, and stalled liberalisation continue to stunt intra-African trade and connectivity. Passenger revenues are growing, but jet fuel prices—up 12.9 percent in June to $96.97 a barrel—add further pressure.

Meanwhile, international restrictions also complicate African travel. A June 2025 US proclamation barred entry from seven African nations, including Libya, Somalia, and Sudan, with partial restrictions on others such as Burundi and Sierra Leone.

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