Looking at the chart, Africa has registered a 10.1% increase in actual passenger traffic, with actual cargo carried showing a more modest growth figure of just 4.2%.
With the exception of the Middle East, whose figures dramatically outstripped everyone else's most likely due to a recovery in tourist confidence following the turbulent events of last year's Arab Spring, Africa has faired remarkably well.
Some of the winners thus far:
- Ethiopian Airlines with their Vision 2025 - USD24m operating profit, down 70% in 2011
- Kenya Airways with their Project Mawingu - despite a drop in profits this year of 25%, have continued steadily in the black
- Precision Air Tanzania - declared a USD700'000 profit for this year.
The losers:
- Air Mauritius posting a huge €29.2 million net loss for 2011/2012
- Fellow Indian Ocean airline Air Austral reported a loss of €27 million
- South African Airways trying to mask its call for a USD$750million bail out as a "request"
- VelvetSky - RIP.
Overall, the greatest problems this last Financial Year have been primarily the high price of oil and consequently, Jet A1, followed by The Eurozone Crisis; less €€€ in Europeans' pockets, means less flights abroad, means less $$$ for both Airlines and African economies as a whole. Lastly, and this perhaps is a localized issue, The Arab Spring of 2011 which, in Syria, is still making itself felt, with many regional carriers like Egyptair (whose profits fell 75% on 2011) and Royal Jordanian.
