There has been phenomenal growth in passenger numbers on certain African routes to Latin America over the last year.
Voyagesafriq reports that last year passenger numbers on one particular route grew over 5000 percent, year-on-year.
Airline executive and aviation analyst, Sean Mendis, weighed in on the reasons for the explosive passenger growth on some air routes from Africa.
PASSENGER NUMBERS TO LATIN AMERICA
The largest growth in passenger movements from Africa in 2023 was recorded on routes from Senegal’s Dakar to Nicaragua’s Managua; and from Nouakchott in Mauritania to Bogota in Colombia.
Passenger volumes from Dakar to Managua rose by a monumental 5554% compared to the previous year. The figures increased by over 500% year-on-year for flights from Nouakchott to Bogota.
Mendis says the increased passenger flows are not always good news for the receiving countries. This is because not all of the arriving passengers are genuine tourists.
“There is also a dark side to explosive growth and that can be seen in the sudden bubble of increased travel between Africa and Latin America. No, Senegalese tourists are not flocking to see Masaya Volcano Park, nor are Mauritanians making pilgrimages to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira.”
Aviation Analyst, Sean Mendis
HIGH PASSENGER NUMBERS: “HUMAN TRAFFICKING“
Mendis states that many of the passengers on these busier-than-usual routes are migrants, on their way to the United States of America.
Furthermore, many of these individuals are being sent by human trafficking syndicates. The increased “visitor” flows pose a risk to the United States, which is where many of these passengers are heading.
“These flight routes, are the latest tracks for undocumented migrants making their way to the US southern border, often under the guidance of human trafficking gangs.”
Aviation Analyst, Sean Mendis
Mendis says some of these passengers are flying into Latin America on Turkish Airlines flights, via Istanbul.
BUCKING THE TREND
Another particular route where passenger numbers are on a growth trajectory is traffic flows from Africa to Canada. This routing has seen growth of 50% year-on-year compared to the 2022 figures.
The numbers are thought to be driven by higher migration flows and increasing numbers of African students taking up educational studies in Canada.
Ethiopian Airlines is the only airline offering daily direct flights between Sub-Saharan Africa and Canada.
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AFRICAN AVIATION
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the entire world in many ways. It impacted the global aviation sector and certainly did not leave Africa unharmed.
Passenger numbers for Africa are generally lagging behind global recovery trends. The continent continues to remain below pre-pandemic levels by around 7%.
