Best Airlines in Africa (2025): Safe, Reliable & Trusted with ranking

Here’s a ranked list of the best to relatively less-established (not worst) airlines in Africa, based on safety, reliability, service quality, and fleet modernization — updated for 2025. I’ve also included each airline’s key routes to help travelers choose based on where they’re headed.

Ranked from Best to Least Reliable Among Top Options

🥇 1. Ethiopian Airlines 🇪🇹

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Africa’s safest, most trusted, and globally respected carrier.

Fleet: Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A350
Safety: IOSA Certified, top ICAO audit scores, Star Alliance member
Service: Excellent international and intra-Africa coverage

Key Routes:

Addis Ababa → Johannesburg
Addis Ababa → Nairobi
Addis Ababa → London, Toronto, Washington D.C., Mumbai
Addis Ababa → Accra, Harare, Kinshasa

🔗 Fly Ethiopian Airlines

🥈 2. Royal Air Maroc 🇲🇦

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)
Excellent safety, good long-haul connectivity, and modern service.

Fleet: Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737
Safety: Oneworld alliance, certified maintenance and crew training
Service: Great for Europe-North Africa-West Africa routes

Key Routes:

Casablanca → Paris, Madrid, London
Casablanca → New York, Montreal, Doha
Casablanca → Dakar, Abidjan, Lagos, Bamako

🔗 Book with Royal Air Maroc

🥉 3. Kenya Airways 🇰🇪

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Reputable East African airline with decent safety and SkyTeam access.

Fleet: Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Embraer 190
Safety: IOSA registered, strong international presence
Service: Efficient for East-Central Africa and Asia routes

Key Routes:

Nairobi → Johannesburg, Addis Ababa
Nairobi → Dubai, Mumbai, Guangzhou
Nairobi → Amsterdam, Paris
Nairobi → Entebbe, Kigali, Lusaka

🔗 Book Kenya Airways

🏅 4. Airlink 🇿🇦

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Top regional airline with great safety, especially within Southern Africa.

Fleet: Embraer E-Jets, BAe Jetstream
Safety: Strong on-time record and newer aircraft for short-hauls
Service: Best for regional routes to remote destinations

Key Routes:

Johannesburg → Windhoek, Maputo, Harare, Victoria Falls
Cape Town → Gaborone, Walvis Bay
Johannesburg → Skukuza (Kruger), Bloemfontein

🔗 Fly Airlink

🏅 5. RwandAir 🇷🇼

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5)
Fast-growing carrier with a modern fleet and good service.

Fleet: Boeing 737, Airbus A330
Safety: Clean safety record, expanding internationally
Service: Ideal for travelers in and out of Central Africa

Key Routes:

Kigali → Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos
Kigali → Dubai, Brussels, London
Kigali → Accra, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka

🔗 Fly RwandAir

🏅 6. Air Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Good for West African travel, improving fleet and service.

Fleet: Airbus A319/A320, Bombardier Dash 8
Safety: Meets international standards, newer aircraft
Service: Efficient for short regional business and government travel

Key Routes:

Abidjan → Accra, Lagos, Bamako, Dakar
Abidjan → Conakry, Lomé, Niamey
Abidjan → Libreville, Kinshasa

🔗 Air Côte d’Ivoire

Click here to download African_Airline_Hubs_Map

🌍 Top 12 Safest & Best Airlines in Africa (2025)

(Use desktop version for full table)

Rank	Airline	Country	Hub Airport	Safety Rating	Key Routes	Notes
1️⃣	Ethiopian Airlines	Ethiopia	Addis Ababa Bole Intl.	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Johannesburg, Nairobi, Mumbai, London, Toronto, Accra	Best overall: global reach + safety
2️⃣	Royal Air Maroc	Morocco	Casablanca Mohammed V Intl.	⭐⭐⭐⭐½	Paris, New York, Lagos, Bamako, Madrid	Strong North & West Africa link
3️⃣	Kenya Airways	Kenya	Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Intl.	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Dubai, Guangzhou, London, Johannesburg, Entebbe	Great East Africa hub
4️⃣	Airlink	South Africa	Johannesburg O.R. Tambo	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Windhoek, Harare, Maputo, Cape Town, Skukuza	Best regional carrier
5️⃣	RwandAir	Rwanda	Kigali International	⭐⭐⭐½	Dubai, Brussels, Lagos, Nairobi, Lusaka	Fast-growing regional player
6️⃣	Air Côte d’Ivoire	Ivory Coast	Abidjan Félix Houphouët-Boigny Intl.	⭐⭐⭐	Dakar, Accra, Bamako, Libreville, Conakry	West Africa business routes
7️⃣	South African Airways	South Africa	Johannesburg O.R. Tambo	⭐⭐⭐½	Lusaka, Harare, Windhoek, Accra, Kinshasa	Making a comeback post-restructuring
8️⃣	EgyptAir	Egypt	Cairo International	⭐⭐⭐½	Johannesburg, Lagos, Istanbul, Rome, Dubai	Star Alliance, broad network
9️⃣	Tunisair	Tunisia	Tunis–Carthage International	⭐⭐⭐	Paris, Algiers, Rome, Frankfurt, Istanbul	Solid North African choice
🔟	TAAG Angola Airlines	Angola	Luanda Quatro de Fevereiro Intl.	⭐⭐⭐	Johannesburg, Lisbon, Windhoek, Porto, Cape Town	Expanding network, solid fleet
11️⃣	ASKY Airlines	Togo	Lomé–Tokoin International	⭐⭐⭐	Accra, Lagos, Abidjan, Brazzaville, Ndjamena	Strong in West and Central Africa
12️⃣	Mauritius Airlines	Mauritius	SSR International Airport	⭐⭐⭐½	Mumbai, Paris, Johannesburg, Nairobi	Great long-haul options for Indian Ocean region

✅ Key Takeaways:

Best for Global Reach: Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, EgyptAir
Best for Regional Coverage: Airlink, ASKY Airlines, Air Côte d’Ivoire
Fastest Growing: RwandAir, TAAG Angola
Making a Comeback: South African Airways (post-restructure)

🧳 Planning to travel across Africa?

Start your journey at Tournami.com for:

Travel guides 🇰🇪 🇿🇦 🇪🇹 🇲🇦
Visa info ✈️
Budget-friendly itineraries 💼
Top hotel deals and booking tips 🏨