African airlines brace for another year of thin margins as old challenges persist
International Air Transport Association Director General Willie Walsh, Kenya Airways Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka and Iata Director of Ground Operations Monika Mejstrikova during a recent media briefing in Nairobi.
African carriers are heading into 2026 with profitability still stuck at the lower end of the global industry spectrum, as structural pressures that have long constrained the continent’s aviation sector show little sign of easing.
The latest financial outlook from the International Air Transport Association (Iata), released on December 9, projects another year of modest gains for African airlines despite stronger traffic growth than the global average.
