The Airlines Operating The Most Flights Between The US & Africa

Not long ago, traveling from the United States to Africa took a very long time due to the limited number of direct flights. However, over the years, more airlines have opened new routes, dramatically reducing travel time and creating more travel options between the two regions.

According to the aviation analytics company Cirium, seven airlines currently operate the most flights between the US and Africa, offering a total of 957 flights and 262,437 seats in June 2024. Among these airlines, two are based in the US, while the remaining five are based in Africa.

Indeed, the number of flights between the US and Africa is growing every year. In June 2023, the same seven airlines offered 930 flights and 257,398 seats, with each of them sharing a different number of flights compared to this year.

Leading the way: Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is leading the list of airlines operating the most flights between the US and Africa. The Atlanta-based carrier has 231 scheduled flights to the African continent for the month of June. With 231 scheduled flights, the airline will serve 57,405 seats and 379 million available seat miles (ASMs).

Photo: Delta Air Lines

According to its official website, Delta offers flights to 42 African destinations, most of which are in Morocco, Kenya, and South Africa. One of the most popular routes served by Delta Air Lines is between Atlanta (ATL) and Johannesburg (JNB). The airline offers seven weekly flights between both destinations and deploys its Airbus A350-900 aircraft on this route.

According to ch-aviation data, the airline’s Airbus A350-900s can accommodate a total of 306 passengers in a three-class cabin configuration.

Another relatively popular route served by Delta Air Lines is between Atlanta (ATL) and Lagos (LOS). The airline operates seven weekly flights between these two destinations, using its Airbus A330-200 fleet rather than the larger-capacity Airbus A350. The carrier’s Airbus A330-200s accommodates 223 passengers, as per ch-aviation.

African carriers dominate the top 3

Even though Delta Air Lines has been crowned the carrier operating the most flights from the US to Africa, Royal Air Maroc, and Ethiopian Airlines combined 354 flights and 102,553 seats between the US and Africa this month.

In June 2024, Royal Air Maroc, the second airline with the most flights to the US, had 182 scheduled flights and will cover 197 million ASMs. From its base in Casablanca (CMN), the airline serves just three destinations in the US: New York (JFK), Washington DC (IAD), and Miami (MIA).

Photo: Wenjie Zheng | Shutterstock

The airline’s most popular route is between Casablanca (CMN) and New York (JFK). It operates 12 weekly flights with flights AT200 and AT202. The airline deploys its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, including the 787-8 and 787-9.

Meanwhile, Africa’s largest carrier by fleet size, Ethiopian Airlines, is close to Royal Air Maroc, with 172 scheduled flights to the US in June 2024. The airline has a larger US network compared to Royal Air Maroc, with five destinations in the US, including Chicago (ORD), Washington DC (IAD), Newark (EWR), New York (JFK), and Atlanta (ATL), as per the airline.

The airline’s most popular routes are between Washington DC (IAD) and Addis Ababa (ADD) as well as Chicago (ORD) and Addis Ababa (ADD). Ethiopian has seven weekly flights between IAD and ADD, deploying its Airbus A350s, and seven weekly flights between ORD and ADD using its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

United Airlines & EgyptAir: 284 combined flights

United Airlines and EgyptAir share fourth and fifth place, having the most flights between the US and Africa in June 2024, respectively. Both airlines offer 284 scheduled flights and 81,560 seats during the first month of summer.

Photo: Abdul N Quraishi – Abs | Shutterstock

United Airlines, being very close to Ethiopian Airlines in this list, has 164 scheduled flights and will cover 303 million ASMs in June 2024. Notably, the number of flights between the US and Africa served by United Airlines did not change, but the offered seats and covered ASMs are larger this year.

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Things really developed in recent years.

The flag carrier of Egypt, EgyptAir, operates 120 scheduled flights between the US and Africa during the month of June, which is an increase of two flights compared to the same period last year. The airline currently serves three destinations in the US, including New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), and Washington DC (IAD). It is worth noting that the carrier used to operate flights to Los Angeles (LAX), Detroit (DTW), and Chicago (ORD). However, the flights have been terminated.

The most popular route to the US is the airline’s Cairo (CAI) to JFK. The Egyptian flag carrier offers daily flights to JFK using its fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft.

The other two carriers offering flights from Africa to the US are Kenya Airways and Air Senegal. In June 2024, Kenya Airways had 70 scheduled flights, while Air Senegal had 17 scheduled flights between the two continents. It is worth noting that Kenya Airways had significantly increased its number of flights to the US compared to the same period last year when the airline offered 54 flights. Meanwhile, Air Senegal reduced its number of flights by one this year.

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