Nigerian airlines not among African carriers with world’s 3 major alliances
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with the world’s largest concentration of black people, and one of the continent’s largest economies, is not part of any of the three major global airline alliances, a monitored report on Simple Flying showing African carriers’ partnerships has shown.
According to the report, partnerships are essential to an airline’s success as they allow carriers to pull together their resources to expand their routes, enhance their operations, and offer greater value to their customers, noting that airlines partner on different levels, from simple interline agreements between two carriers to bigger and more comprehensive alliances.
The report notes that there are three major alliances: Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and oneworld. Some of the world’s largest airlines, including the US big three, are part of these alliances, offering connectivity to thousands of destinations worldwide. There are also a few African airlines that have joined the alliances to offer greater access to the African market. Let us take a look.
The three stars of Africa
South African Airways – April 2006
South Africa’s national carrier joined Star Alliance on April 10, 2006, becoming the first African carrier to join the alliance. For several years, South African Airways served numerous destinations in Africa and beyond with its own fleet and through its partnerships with SA Express, Airlink, and its low-cost subsidiary Mango.
However, the airline has significantly reduced its operations over the last decade after facing several economic and political challenges. Since exiting business rescue in 2021, the airline has resumed a number of international destinations and looks to return to its former glory.
SAA has an independent frequent flyer programme known as Voyager. It is one of Africa’s most comprehensive loyalty programmes in Africa with many perks, including access to world-class lounges. Voyager allows members to earn and spend miles on any Star Alliance carrier, with benefits including (depending on your status):
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Priority check-in
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Additional baggage allowance
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Security fast-track
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Priority boarding
Egyptair – July 2008
Egyptair is one of the world’s oldest airlines and currently Africa’s second-largest by fleet size. The airline joined Star Alliance on July 17, 2008, about 76 years after its founding. Egyptair is the only airline based in North Africa and the Middle East that is part of the Star Alliance network.
The airline currently flies to eight domestic and 84 international destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, with a fleet of over 60 aircraft. Egyptair Plus is the airline’s frequent flyer programme. It is aligned with the Star Alliance network, allowing members to earn and spend with other member airlines.
Ethiopian Airlines – December 2011
Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s largest airline by fleet size and destinations served. It has over 130 aircraft, with many more on order. Based at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, the airline flies to over 19 domestic and 120 international destinations. It plays a pivotal role in connecting travellers within Africa, serving nearly all 54 countries.
Ethiopian Airlines was accepted as a future Star Alliance member in September 2010 and officially joined the group in December 2011. Joining the alliance marked one of the most important milestones in the airline’s history, helping it progress with its growth strategy. Then CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam even said:
“It is another historical milestone for Ethiopian to join this most prestigious and longest-serving Alliance in the world. This day will remain colourfully marked in our history books.”
Ethiopian’s loyalty programme is known as ShebaMiles. Members can earn miles from flying and non-flying activities and spend them with Ethiopian or any of the other 24 Star Alliance carriers. Ethiopian is also one of the few African carriers with a stopover programme, giving passengers a chance to explore Addis Ababa during long layovers.
SkyTeam and the Pride of Africa
SkyTeam is the second-largest airline alliance. It was founded in June 2000 by Delta, Air France, Aeromexico, and Korean Air. Today, it has 19 members with a network of over 1,000 destinations in more than 160 countries. The alliance is responsible for carrying over 624 million passengers each year and gives them access to more than 750 lounges worldwide.
Kenya Airways is the only African carrier in SkyTeam. It joined the alliance in September 2007, together with Spain’s Air Europa. For many years, Kenya Airways was the symbol of African aviation excellence, but has seen its fair share of struggles in recent times. It currently has a fleet of just over 30 aircraft and flies to about three domestic and 40 international destinations.
Kenya Airways has codeshare agreements with many member airlines, including Delta and Air Europa. Its partnerships allow customers greater access to destinations outside Africa and vice versa. Kenya Airways also participated in SkyTeam’s The Sustainable Flight Challenge, highlighting its commitment to sustainability.
Asante Rewards is the airline’s loyalty programme. It was launched in June 2023 after years of research, customer feedback, and analysing global best practices. It offers a status match for Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue programme and allows customers to earn points with other members, including SAS, which recently joined the alliance. Asante Rewards comprises the following tiers:
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Ruby
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Silver Elite
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Gold Elite Plus
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Platinum Elite Plus
oneworld, one African airline
oneworld was founded in 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. It now comprises 13 airlines with a global network of over 900 destinations. The alliance flies over 500 million passengers annually, giving them access to nearly 700 lounges in different regions.
Royal Air Maroc officially joined oneworld on April 1, 2020, becoming the alliance’s first full African member. It took about 15 months to integrate the North African carrier into the alliance. It joined together with its regional subsidiary, Royal Air Maroc Express, adding 39 destinations in 23 countries to the oneworld network.
According to ch-aviation, Royal Air Maroc currently has a fleet of about 42 aircraft, which it plans to quadruple over the next ten years. With Morocco jointly hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the national carrier expects a significant boost in traffic and tourism. The airline will look to capitalise on Morocco’s open skies agreements with the US and the EU to expand its operations.
The airline currently serves 15 domestic and 76 international destinations from its hub at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport. Already a leading tourist destination in Africa, Morocco aims to welcome over 26 million tourists by 2030. The airports are already preparing, expecting to increase capacity to 90 million by 2035.