The
aviation industry is one of the biggest industries with investment in that
vector running into trillions of dollars. Unfortunately, Africa accounts for a
mere 3% of air traffic.
Africa
is no exception to the need to build and operate busy airports.
Investors find it convenient to invest in cities or nations with good air transport as they can fly in and out with little hassles.
Thus
for African countries to grow we must keep our airports busy. And today we have
some airports that have kept their doors open at all times for air travel. They have handled more passengers coming into
and leaving Africa yearly than most.
In
this write-up, we will rank the top ten busiest airports in Africa based on the number of passengers handled yearly. Having a greater chuck of the over 45 million
passengers that venture into Africa yearly is worth celebrating.
So
we rate the top 10 busiest airports in Africa;
No 10 Marrakesh Menara Airport, Morocco
This
airport is located in Marrakesh in Morocco and serves as a hub for receiving
flights from Europe and other Arab nations. The airport serviced about
1,525.491 passengers
It
is rated as the fifth-best airport and the tenth busiest in Africa.
No 9 King Shaka International Airport,
South Africa
Located in Durban South Africa is also known as La Mercy Airport. This airport was
designed by Osmond Lange Architects and planners and can accommodate Airbus A380.
It
began operations on May 1, 2010, some weeks before the commencement of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup.
It
was reported to have processed more than 2,806,248 passengers in 2021. King
Shaka airport is rated the 9th busiest airport in Africa.
No 8 Mohammed V International Airport,
Morocco
This
airport is based in Casablanca; originally named Berrechid Airfield was built
in 1943 by the United States. It was controlled by the US until 1959 when the
Moroccan government took full control of the airport.
It
was renamed Mohammed V International Airport after King Mohammed V who
fought for independence from French and Spanish colonialists. Besides being the 8th
busiest airport in Africa it is also the Sixth best airport on the continent.
No 7 Sharm el-Sheikh International
Airport, Egypt
Rated
the 3rd busiest in Egypt it occupies the 7th position in
the continent. It is located in Sharm el-Sheikh originally an Israeli
air force base.
Construction
has been carried out on this airport over the years to increase its capacity to
handle more passengers. The airport handled about 4,561,355 passengers. The
plan is to increase its capacity to more than 18 million passengers by 2025.
No 6 Cape Town International Airport,
Egypt
Cape
Town International Airport is the third busiest airport in South Africa and is
the sixth on the continent. This airport has for more than half a decade (a
record 6 times) been named the best airport in Africa. It holds the record
as the cleanest airport and has the best staff in Africa.
It
is one of the oldest airports in Africa; commissioned in 1954. The airport provides
direct flights from South Africa to Europe, the United States, Asia, and the
Middle East, and across Africa. About 4,757,855 passengers were serviced by this
airport.
No 5 Hurghada International Airport, Egypt
This
is the second busiest airport in Egypt and is a delight for major airlines in
the world. The airport is located in Hurghada which is an important city in
Egypt. Currently, a third terminal is being built that would see its capacity
increase to over 13 million passengers yearly.
The
airport handled more than 4,909, 252 passengers.
No 4 Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria
Nnamdi
Azikiwe Airport is located in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The airport is
named after its first president Nnamdi Azikiwe and is operated by the federal
government of the country.
The
airport was constructed in the year 2000 and began operations in 2002. It serves as
an international route for its numerous passengers. The also operates a private
jet wing that serves the elites, diplomats as well as business personalities.
About 5,323,905 passengers passed through this airport.
No 3 Murtala Muhammed International
Airport, Nigeria
This
is the busiest airport in Nigeria and West Africa and is rated the third
busiest in Africa. This airport is located in Lagos, the country’s economic
powerhouse. It is named after its former Head of State, Murtala Muhammed.
The
airport has an international and domestic terminal; however, they both share the
same runway. The airport handled about 5,689,234 passengers in 2021.
No 2 O.R. Tambo International Airport,
South Africa
This
airport is recognized as the largest airport and also the second busiest on the
continent. Established in 1952 and originally named Jan Smuts International
Airport it was later changed to Johannesburg International Airport.
The
airport is situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa. It serves both
domestic and international passengers with the capacity to handle more than 25
million people. However, the airport handled about 8,201,500 passengers in 2021.
No 1 Cairo International Airport, Egypt
Cairo
International Airport is rated as the busiest airport in Africa. It also is the
largest and busiest in Egypt and serves as a profitable route for numerous
airlines in the industry. The airport is controlled by several government-owned institutions.
The airport has 4 terminals and is always in constant development with several projects going on at the airport. It presently serves as a hub for the Middle East and African passengers. In 2021 it handled about 11,344,859 passengers making it the busiest airport in Africa.
The
pace of activity at an airport determines its relevance to any economy. The
importance of having a viable airport in any state, region, or city cannot be
over-emphasized. Major cities across the globe have seen their fortunes turned
around when the potential of having an airport was fully harnessed.
To
be relevant and become an international hub for economic activities, a nation
or city must have sufficient demand for air travel. This should also be backed
with a highly technologically advanced structure to handle activities at the
airport.
So
for Africa to become a powerhouse of economic activity and to make it an
international route it must pay attention to its airport. It’s all about having
an airport that meets modern-day air travel and has enough economic activity to
keep its lights on 24/7.