Skyward Express has officially launched its first flight from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
This new route will be serviced by a 109-seat Fokker 100 jet, offering a seamless travel experience to one of East Africa’s most dynamic cities, renowned for its rich cultural heritage, wildlife, business potential and historical importance.
Mohamed Abdi, CEO of Skyward Express, said this is the 11th route in the airline’s 11th year. “I’m excited to announce that this is just the beginning as we will be expanding our routes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo – broadening our horizons and connecting even more travellers in the region.”
Kenyan Transport Cabinet Secretary, Davis Chirchir, commended Skyward Express for its dedication to enhancing regional air travel and praised the airline’s role as a local investor in Kenya’s aviation industry, which has traditionally been dominated by international carriers.
“We celebrate one of our own in a space previously thought to be for international investors. Today’s milestone is not just a tribute to Skyward but the immense potential of our nation’s transport sector in shaping the future of regional connectivity and economic growth.”
Skyward Express is filling a vital gap by connecting important, often under-served, routes within East Africa, added Chirchir. “This is great progress as it’s making it easier to access key business and tourism destinations in the region.”
The airline is also offering competitive pricing for the new route with fares starting at just US$100 – aiming to make air travel more affordable for a broad range of passengers, from business travellers to tourists, and enhancing connectivity between Kenya and Tanzania.
East African aviation growth lags
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), African air travel has been growing steadily. In 2019, Africa’s passenger traffic grew by 6.1%, outpacing the global average of 4.2%.
However, East Africa’s growth is slow compared to other regions like West and North Africa.
According to East African Community statistics, passenger traffic within the region increased by 7.5% in 2022, indicating positive but gradual growth. So far, the East African region has 15 airlines offering regional routes – Kenya Airways is the largest.
Despite this, the region lacks capacity on several intra-regional routes, especially to small, less profitable destinations. Another challenge is that many regional airports, especially in small cities and towns, have outdated or insufficient infrastructure including limited terminal capacity, poor baggage handling systems and inadequate runway lengths.
This makes it difficult for airlines to operate efficiently and safely and could discourage investment in the aviation sector. In addition, despite the presence of local carriers, airfares in East Africa remain relatively high compared to other regions.
According to IATA, this is due to high fuel costs, taxes, airport charges and limited competition on some routes. These costs make air travel unaffordable and limit business and tourist visits.
Another issue affecting connectivity is that, although there are some regional airlines, the East African aviation market is fragmented. A few collaborative alliances between airlines in the region, such as codeshare agreements, enable travellers to book multiple legs on different carriers with one ticket.
Additionally, despite the Single African Air Transport Market agreement under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 – aiming to liberalise air transport in Africa – many East African countries still have restrictive bilateral agreements and protectionist policies that limit free movement of airlines and passengers within the region. Regulatory delays and complex procedures prevent expansion of regional routes.
