Africa, the world's second-largest continent by population, is the least influential part of the world in the aviation industry. Even though Africa is home to approximately 18% of the world's population, the entire continent accounts for less than 2% of global air travel. Furthermore, the United Nations Environment Program estimates that Africa contributes only 3.8% to global greenhouse emissions.

There are several reasons why Africa's aviation industry is underdeveloped in comparison with other parts of the world. These reasons include the slow adoption of global standards, high operating costs, poor connectivity, excessive regulations, and a lack of skilled workers. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed that African airlines saw $3.5 billion in losses between 2020 and 2022, with further losses of up to $213 million expected this year.

Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA's Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, said the following about Africa's aviation sector in April: "Many airports in Africa have systems and processes which do not offer a good passenger experience. Another shortcoming that we've noticed is Africa as a continent also has the slowest adoption of passenger Data API programs, with only a handful of governments that have implemented passenger data programs. When implemented using industry guidance and best practices, they can strengthen first of all borders, of course, but also support airports and governments to move towards advanced processing capabilities."

Al-Awadhi's statement suggests that many airports cannot adequately serve passengers due to outdated technology. Even if there is demand for Africans to travel by air, technological issues would make it difficult for African airports to become competitive globally.

IATA has acknowledged African aviation's challenges and plans to solve them through its Focus Africa initiative. The international organization believes that connecting people across Africa internally and to global destinations is essential for economic and social development. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals aim to lift 50 million Africans out of poverty by 2030. One way to meet this goal is through trade and tourism, which are almost synonymous with aviation. Therefore, IATA sees aviation as a way to create jobs, which will reduce poverty and create economic prosperity across the continent.

IATA predicts that African aviation demand will triple in the next two decades. The industry supported 7.7 million jobs and contributed $63 billion to Africa's economy before the COVID-19 pandemic. As the industry continues its post-pandemic recovery, IATA has identified six critical areas that Africa's aviation sector should focus on in the coming years.

Those six critical focus areas are the following:

• Improving operational safety through technology that reduces safety incidents in the air and on the ground
• Implementing an efficient, secure, and cost-effective aviation infrastructure to improve operational efficiency in addition to improving passenger experience
• Promoting easier access between African countries through the Single African Air Transport Market
• Enhancing the use of secure, effective, and cost-efficient financial services and adopting modern retailing standards
• Helping Africa's aviation industry meet the goal of reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 established by IATA and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• Encouraging people to pursue careers in aviation to ensure a supply of diverse and skilled talent to meet aviation's future needs

Africa has the potential to develop a strong aviation industry for a variety of reasons. Aside from a growing middle class and IATA's commitment to Africa, the continent has a large diaspora across the world. The African diaspora supports their home nations through travel for family or business reasons. This means that there will always be a strong demand for flights between Africa and other parts of the world.

The countries with the largest African populations outside of Africa are the United States, Brazil, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, France, Venezuela, Jamaica, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. However, it should be noted that the majority of Africans in Latin American countries are descendants of slaves who arrived there during the colonial era. Although the U.S. and Western Europe also have the same population, these countries also have a large population of Africans who immigrated within the past few decades.

The latter group is more likely to visit Africa regularly since they have family members still residing on the continent or are doing business there. For that reason, African and foreign airlines alike offer nonstop flights between Africa and major population centers worldwide. In North America, passengers can fly directly to 14 airports in Africa from nine airports in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to these direct flights, many passengers fly to Africa by connecting through an airport in Europe or the Middle East. These flights are attractive to passengers due to more airline choices, larger networks, and often lower fares.

Passengers in the U.S. and Canada can fly nonstop to Africa from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Miami, Montreal, New York-JFK, Newark, Toronto, and Washington-Dulles. The destinations with direct flights are Ethiopia, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Kenya, and Cape Verde.

These routes are offered by Ethiopian Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Royal Air Maroc, United Airlines, EgyptAir, Air Canada, Air Algérie, Kenya Airways, Azores Airlines, Tunisair, and Air Senegal. As of the second quarter of this year, there were 1,815 flights between North America and Africa. The number is much higher when accounting for additional nonstop flights from Africa to Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.

Atlanta - Johannesburg: Delta Air Lines

[ATL,JNB]

The longest flight from Africa is a Delta Air Lines route between the airline's hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg. The route, which is the world's 13th longest by distance, covers 8,439 miles (13,581 kilometers) and is offered daily.

Delta flight DL 200 is 15 hours and 30 minutes long, departing Atlanta at 9:30 p.m. and arriving in Johannesburg at 7:00 p.m. local time the next day. Flight DL 201 operates for 16 hours and 15 minutes, departing Johannesburg at 9:55 p.m. and arriving in Atlanta at 8:10 a.m. the next day. Both flights are operated using an Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

South Africa is a crucial market for Delta Air Lines since the country is the U.S.'s largest trade partner in Africa. South African cities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town receive a substantial amount of U.S. tourism for business and leisure purposes. The Atlanta-Johannesburg route has operated since June 2009, with a brief pause from April 2020 to August 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Atlanta - Cape Town: Delta Air Lines

[ATL,CPT]

The route was such a success that Delta decided to add a second route between Atlanta and South Africa in December 2022. This service operates three times a week between Atlanta and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. In addition to the nonstop Atlanta-Cape Town route, Delta operates a "triangle route" from Atlanta to Johannesburg to Cape Town. The triangle route runs four times a week.

Although the airline originally planned to fly to Cape Town in 2020, the service was postponed due to delays in obtaining approval from the South African government. Delta submitted a second application in early 2022 that was later approved for both nonstop flights and the triangle route.

Paul Hassenstab, Delta Air Lines' Regional Sales Director, said the following about the need for a route between Atlanta and Cape Town in 2022: "We are already seeing tremendous demand for our flights to South Africa and adding our second gateway to the country with our Cape Town service is proving popular as our customers seek new experiences."

Delta's Atlanta-Cape Town route is the world's 22nd longest by distance, covering 8,130 miles (13,084 kilometers). Delta flight DL 210 is 14 hours and 45 minutes long, departing from Atlanta at 9:05 p.m. and arriving in Cape Town at 5:50 p.m. the next day. Flight DL 211 is 15 hours and 35 minutes, leaving Cape Town at 9:30 p.m. and landing in Atlanta at 7:05 a.m. the next day.

Newark - Johannesburg: United Airlines

[EWR,JNB]

The third longest nonstop flight from Africa is again between the U.S. and South Africa; this time on United Airlines. The route between United's hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Johannesburg is the world's 29th longest, covering 7,990 miles (12,858 kilometers). Newark-Johannesburg service is offered daily and is operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.

Nonstop flights between Newark and Johannesburg launched in June 2021 with the service initially being offered three times a week. United flight UA 187 is 15 hours and 50 minutes long, departing Johannesburg at 8:00 p.m. and arriving in Newark at 5:50 a.m. the next day. Flight UA 188 lasts 14 hours and 50 minutes, leaving Newark at 8:55 p.m. and landing in Johannesburg at 5:45 p.m. the next day.

Patrick Quayle, United Airlines' Vice President of International Network and Alliances, said the following about the route in June 2021: 

"We are excited to inaugurate our new service between New York/Newark and Johannesburg, which further expands our Africa route network and provides our customers from South Africa with even greater travel choices via our New York/Newark hub to as many as 80 U.S. destinations this year. This service, operated with a brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, offers our customers from South Africa our newest, award-winning aircraft, featuring our United Polaris suites and United Premium Plus seats."

Washington Dulles - Cape Town: United Airlines

[IAD,CPT]

The fourth longest nonstop flight from Africa is a United Airlines route between Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Cape Town. The service, which launched in November 2022, is the first direct route between Washington Dulles and Cape Town. The flight to Cape Town is 14 hours and 14 minutes long while the flight to Washington-Dulles lasts 15 hours and 45 minutes. United offers flights between the two destinations three times a week using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

The route was needed since there was already a large number of passengers flying between Washington, DC and Cape Town on connecting flights. The DC area is home to the U.S.' fifth largest population of South Africans. United's goal with the route is to provide a direct connection for the South African community and for passengers who visit Cape Town for tourism. 

United flight UA 2222 departs from Washington Dulles at 6:35 p.m. and arrives in Cape Town at 3:20 p.m. the next day. Flight UA 2223 leaves Cape Town at 8:00 p.m. and lands in Washington Dulles at 5:45 a.m. the next day. As of July 2022, the launch of this route means that United offers the most flights to South Africa of any airline based in the U.S. or Canada.

Quayle said the following about the route's launch in July 2022: "We are thrilled to further expand our Africa offering with this first-ever direct link between Washington DC and Cape Town. These new flights build upon our existing year-round New York/Newark to Cape Town service - together they'll provide a near-daily pattern from the U.S. to Cape Town along with connectivity to the broader region through our Airlink partnership."

Newark - Cape Town: United Airlines

[EWR,CPT]

Finally, the fifth-longest direct route from Africa is operated by United Airlines between Newark and Cape Town. This route was originally offered seasonally before commencing year-round service in June 2022. United's three-times-weekly Newark-Cape Town service has existed since 2019, with a brief suspension from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

United flight UA 1122 is 14 hours and 45 minutes long, departing from Newark at 8:25 p.m. and landing in Cape Town at 5:10 p.m. the next day. Flight UA 1123 lasts 15 hours and 45 minutes, leaving Cape Town at 7:50 p.m. and landing in Newark at 5:35 a.m. the next day. This route again uses Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

The five longest routes from Africa are all between the U.S. and South Africa. This is because of geography; South Africa is the furthest African country from North America. Furthermore, South Africa's "central" location in the world means it can offer nonstop flights to all six inhabited continents. Johannesburg is the only African airport that provides direct flights to destinations in Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America, South America, and Europe.

It should also be noted that all of these flights are operated by United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Both carriers can operate ultra-long-haul flights due to their aircraft being capable of flying such extensive distances. These aircraft include the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350. 

In comparison, South Africa's state-owned flag carrier South African Airways (SAA) does not have any aircraft in its fleet that can support ultra-long haul flights. SAA used to offer direct flights to the U.S. before financial issues forced the airline to abandon these routes in 2020.

There will likely be more ultra-long-haul flights from Africa in the future as the continent's population and its diaspora continue to grow. It would be difficult for other African countries to make this list due to their "central" locations in the world. Many African countries are relatively close to large Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha. These airports are able to offer nonstop flights to all six continents for geographical reasons.

However, a potential way for another African route to become one of the five longest is if there were direct flights between Australia and a country in North or West Africa. Qantas is likely able to do this from Perth since the airline already flies from Perth Airport (PER) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). It is currently unknown if such a service would ever be launched in the future, though it would be historic if it ever launched.