Boosting Singapore's air links with Africa

AFRICA and Asia will no doubt see an increase in air passenger traffic in the years ahead, as the growth worldwide hits a projected 7.3 billion by 2034. Africa's numbers will grow by 4.7 per cent, with an extra 177 million passengers a year for a total market of 294 million.

However, compared to other regions and by virtue of its size, Africa's share of the passenger aviation market is minimal. The Asia-Pacific, on the other hand, will see an extra 1.8 billion annual passengers by 2034, with an overall market size of 2.9 billion. These figures are for routes to, from and within the Asia-Pacific and will include routes to Africa.

One concern is passenger connectivity from Singapore to Africa. Currently, there are direct flights from Singapore to only Mauritius, Johannesburg and Cape Town. All other flights to Africa involve connections, stopovers, codeshares and the use of alliances. Why are there such limited flights to Africa from Singapore and vice versa? What are the implications for the airline industry, business, tourism, trade and investment in Singapore? What can be done or is being done to increase the number of flights and African destinations from Singapore?