Interview with Ali Tounsi (Airports Council International for Africa)

Ali Tounsi has been Secretary General of Airports Council International since 2009. (Airport Council International or ACI) for Africa. ACI represents 64 members in 51 countries who manage 250 airports..

With 25 years' experience in the air transport industry, Ali Tounsi paints an uncompromising portrait of today's Africa by air. He explains the continent's strengths, but also the many challenges facing air transport in this part of the world.

What is your snapshot of air transport in Africa?

Ali Tounsi - I'll give you two figures that I think perfectly describe what air transport represents for the continent today. Africa accounts for 15% of the world's population and 2.5% of global air traffic. In other words, the potential for growth in air transport is enormous. All the more so as we are dealing with a young population and attractive economic prospects with all the resources that the continent has to offer. Even if this economic dynamic varies greatly from one country to another. But it's important to remember that 80% to 90% of the world's poorest countries are in Africa. When it comes to tourism, this is a continent of incredible ethnic, religious, cultural and scenic diversity.

So what are the handicaps?

Ali Tounsi - People who know me know that I don't mince my words. This same incredible diversity is also our main source of weakness. Because we are faced with a political and social fragmentation that makes any progress complicated by local egos. A simple example. To have a single African sky like in the European Union or a pan-African airline would require full political and financial coordination to overcome problems. Like who is going to manage a pan-African company? Where should it be based? And how can we ensure that it remains independent of any political influence? Political Africa is still under construction. We can see this even in North Africa, where there is a great deal of social, societal and economic homogeneity. Finally, another aspect is the colonial legacy that still weighs heavily on air transport on the continent.

What do you mean by the expression "colonial legacy"?

Ali Tounsi - When I talk about the colonial past in air transport, I'm really thinking of the networks that existed before the countries became independent. It was a time when all international air links went through the colonising country. This was the case, for example, for West and North Africa, whose air links with the rest of the world were via Paris, Marseille or Brussels.

60 years later, it's still more or less the same. 80% to 85% of international airline passengers actually travel on non-African carriers. In addition to Air France, Brussels Airlines or TAP Air Portugal, recent years have seen the rise of the Gulf carriers and Turkish Airlines. And there have been aberrations on intra-African routes. For example, I recently had to travel from Tunis to Lusaka in Zambia via... Dubai. It was indeed the fastest connection! And I could mention countless other cases of intra-African routes that have to be routed via Europe or the Middle East.

Are there any successful airlines in Africa?

Ali Tounsi - The company that has certainly come out on top is Ethiopian Airlineswhich has turned Addis Ababa into a real hub. It is not only the largest company in Africa, but also the number one for the number of transfer passengers, which represents 70% of all its traffic. Royal Air Maroc, Egyptair or even Kenya Airways are carriers that have also been able to adopt a commercial policy independent of local politicians.

Recent years have seen the emergence of a number of new national carriers. But these are more point-to-point airlines, the vast majority of which serve as flagship carriers rather than part of an economic strategy. And the absence of airlines or competition means that tickets within Africa remain more expensive than elsewhere in the world.

Is Africa still competitive in attracting airlines?

Ali Tounsi - There are of course major tourist and economic traffic flows, particularly with Europe. But to be more attractive, African governments need to rationalise their air services. Most of the region's airports handle fewer than one million passengers a year.. In other words, they are not profitable and it is generally the country's main airport that subsidises the others. As a result, airport taxes are often high, making air services less attractive.

Which countries offer the greatest growth potential for air transport, both economically and for tourism?

Ali Tounsi - Several African countries do indeed have assets capable of boosting demand and supply by air. JI'm thinking of North Africa, the West African coast with Senegal, Tanzania - with Zanzibar - and Kenya to the east.. Other countries, such as Rwanda, have developed an infrastructure that makes them hubs for business. Finally, there are South Africa and Mauritius who are both major economic and tourism players on the continent.