These are Africas’s most lucrative air routes

Posted by Elise Kirsten on 19 August 2019

Travel data provider OAG, has published its annual list of the air routes across the globe that generate the highest revenue.

‘Ultimately, of course, revenue alone is just a metric and for many of these routes high-frequency wide-bodied services means high operating costs. However, it is equally likely that for each of these airlines operating profits are amongst the highest on their respective networks,’ OAG said, according to Business Tech.

In Africa, the most lucrative route is Emirates flying between Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo International Airport and Dubai International Airport, which made over $315 million (R4.8 billion) during the year’s review period (between April 2018 and March 2019).

In second place is the British Airways route between Oliver Tambo and Heathrow, which made $295 million (R4.5 billion) over the same time.

Domestically, South African Airways’ route between Cape Town and Joburg generated the fifth-highest amount in Africa at $185 million (R2.8 billion). However, ‘while South African Airways (SAA) features as having one of the most lucrative routes in the world, it goes against OAG’s analysis in that it is not turning a profit at all,’ says Business Tech.

The struggling airline has yet to publish its 2017/18 financial results, which are nearly a year-and-a-half overdue.

Two other international routes, between Cape Town and Dubai with $176.7 million (R2.7 billion) and between Cape Town to London with $174.6 million (R2.65 billion), are also listed.

Globally, the British Airways route between Heathrow airport in London and New York’s JFK International Airport turns over the most money, making $1.16 billion in the last review period.

Below are the top African money-making routes:

Route	Airline	Revenue (USD)	ZAR
JNB – DXB	Emirates	$315.7 million	R4.8 billion
JNB – LHR	British Airways	$295.2 million	R4.5 billion
CAI – JED	Saudi Arabian Airlines	$242.2 million	R3.7 billion
LAD – LIS	TAAG Angloa Airlines	$231.7 million	R3.5 billion
CPT – JNB	South African Airways	$184.9 million	R2.8 billion
CAI – DXB	Emirates	$181.4 million	R2.75 billion
CPT – DXB	Emirates	$176.7 million	R2.7 billion
ABJ – CDG	Air France	$175.0 million	R2.66 billion
CPT – LHR	British Airways	$174.6 million	R2.65 billion
MRU – DXB	Emirates	$164.0 million	R2.5 billion

Image: Emirates

These are Africas’s most lucrative air routes

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