TOP TEN AFRICAN AIRLINES

TOP TEN AFRICAN AIRLINES

1. SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS

South African Airways (SAA) is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International Airport, using a fleet of 59 aircraft

2. EGYPT AIR

EgyptAir (Arabic: مصر للطيران, Miṣr liṬ-Ṭayarān) is the flag carrier airline of Egypt and a member of Star Alliance. The airline is based at Cairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to more than 75 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. An extensive network of domestic services is focused on Cairo, Egypt's capital.

3. AIR ALGERIA

Air Algérie is the national flag carrier airline of Algeria, with its head office in the Immeuble El-Djazair in Algiers. With flights operating from Houari Boumedienne Airport, Air Algérie operates scheduled international services to 39 destinations in 28 countries in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as domestic services to 32 airports.






4.      ROYAL AIR MAROC (MOROCCO)

Royal Air Maroc is the flag carrier airline of Morocco, headquartered on the grounds of Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Casablanca. It operates scheduled international flights from Morocco to Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America and a domestic flight and charter flight network, (including Hajj flights). Its base is Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), Casablanca.

5. TUNISAIR, TUNISIA

Société Tunisienne de l'Air, or Tunisair  is the flag carrier airline of Tunisia. Formed in 1948, it operates scheduled international services to European, African and Middle Eastern destinations. Its main base is Tunis-Carthage International Airport. The airline's head office is in Tunis, near Tunis Airport.

6. ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

Ethiopian Airlines formerly Ethiopian Air Lines, often referred to as simply Ethiopian, is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It serves as the country's flag carrier. The company is wholly owned by the Government of Ethiopia. Its hub is Bole International Airport, from which the airline serves a network of 64 international destinations and 16 domestic ones. The carrier flies to more destinations in Africa than any other airline. Likewise, it is one of the few Sub-Saharan profitable airlines, as well as one the fastest growing airlines in the industry. The airline's cargo division has been awarded The African Cargo Airline of the Year in early 2011.

7.      KENYA AIRWAYS

The airline was wholly owned by the Government of Kenya until April 1995, and it was privatised in 1996, becoming the first African flag carrier in successfully doing so. Kenya Airways is currently a public-private partnership. The largest shareholder is KLM (26%), followed by the Government of Kenya, which has a 23% stake in the company. The rest of the shares are held by private owners; shares are traded in the Nairobi Stock Exchange, the Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange, and the Ugandan Securities Exchange. Tanzanian air carrier Precision Air is a subsidiary of Kenya Airways; it is 49%-owned by the Kenyan airline.

8. AFRIQIYAH AIRLINES, LIBYA

Afriqiyah Airways is an airline based in Tripoli, Libya. It operated domestic services between Tripoli and Benghazi and international scheduled services to over 25 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Due to the United Nations "No Fly Zone" instituted under Security Council Resolution 1973 the airline is unable to operate and all operations are therefore currently suspended. Its main base is Tripoli International Airport.

9. AIR MAURITIUS

Air Mauritius Limited, stylised as Air Mauritius, is the flag carrier of Mauritius. The airline is headquartered at the Air Mauritius Centre in Port Louis. Its main base is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius, serving 23 destinations therefrom. Air Mauritius is the leading scheduled carrier within the Indian Ocean region.

10. LIBYA AIRLINES

                     

Libyan Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Libya, based in Tripoli. It operates scheduled passenger and cargo services within Libya and to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Its main base is Tripoli International Airport. The airline carried 885,000 passengers in 2007, of which 40% travelled on domestic services. Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways, Libya's other state carrier, have recently been grouped under Libyan African Aviation Holding Company, an umbrella organisation created to oversee a co-ordinated development of Libya's air transport sector. The airline is also a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization and the International Air Transport Association. By mid-October 2010, Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways were expected to merge into one airline. On 19 March 2011, a multi-state coalition began a military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which was taken to protect civilians specifically targeted by the Libyan Regime's forces in response to events during the 2011 Libyan civil war.^[Point 17 of the United Nations resolution specifically bans flights from members of the United Nations of aircraft registered in Libya, effectively prohibiting under international law the operation of Libyan-based airlines.