Wie fliege ich nach Afrika?

Africa is one of the most extraordinary places to have a holiday, and one of the reasons why it is such an appealing place is because it is so out of reach.

And yet despite its distances from its neighbours, flights to Africa are both numerous, and you’ll find that there are flights that will take you to even the most far-flung corner of this exquisite destination.

How to get to Africa is a question that deserves a more considered answer than most travel content will give you.

The usual guides involve some variation of Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar, as though the Gulf carriers hold a monopoly on the skies between Europe and Africa.

The truth is that they do not.

Flights to Africa in 2026 are more connected, more varied, and in some cases more direct than travellers planning their first or fifth trip to the continent tend to realise.

This guide is your map through your best options.

Africa’s Gateway Airports

Africa is a continent of 54 countries spanning an area that makes most other landmasses look modest.

Where you land depends almost entirely on where you are going, and understanding the regional hubs is the most useful first step in planning your routing.

Getting to Southern Africa

Southern Africa is safari country and home to some of the most developed countries in Africa. This is generally the first destination on the map for first-time travellers, and the good news is that it’s the easiest place to get to.

O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg (JNB) is the main gateway for southern Africa, and it is one of the busiest airports on the continent.

Once you arrive here, you can take connecting flights to just about anywhere else in Africa, with the most popular routes being Kapstadt, Durban, Victoriafälle, Windhoek, and der Krüger region.

Cape Town International (CPT) is the second most frequented airport in Southern Africa, and it receives direct long-haul flights from London Heathrow via British Airways and from Dubai via Emirates, making it a viable first port of call for travellers planning to spend time in the Western Cape before heading north or east.

If you are travelling to or routing through Namibia, Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek is a good option for your entry point, and it is served by Lufthansa from Frankfurt with a direct service. It’s also nice that while the airport is international, it is small enough not to feel overwhelming. There’s rarely a crowd here.

Getting to East Africa

Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) and Julius Nyerere International in Dar es Salaam (DAR) are the two dominant East African gateway airports.

There’s also Kilimanjaro International (JRO) in northern Tanzania, which handles a significant volume of safari-bound passengers heading directly to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro circuit, and has expanded its international connections in recent years.

And there’s Kigali International Airport in Rwanda. It has grown considerably as a regional hub, helped by RwandAir’s expanding network. Plenty of travellers who’ve stopped here to catch a connecting flight rave about the airport’s quality and organisation. Rwanda has in recent years become one of Africa’s most inspiring nations.

If your trip in Africa is solely to see the gorillas in Uganda, then Entebbe Airport is the best entry point for tours leaving from Bwindi.

Getting to West Africa

Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) in Morocco functions as a travel hub for both North and West Africa, with Royal Air Maroc operating an extensive network of connections across the continent.

And Accra (ACC) in Ghana and Lagos (LOS) in Nigeria are the primary West African gateways for long-haul arrivals from Europe and North America.

The Airlines Currently Flying to Africa

Many of those booking flights to Africa will use the Gulf carriers. They are good. That much is true.

But they are not the only way in, and for many travellers, particularly those flying from Europe, they are no longer even the most convenient, let alone the cheapest.

Up and Coming African Carriers

Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s largest airline by network size, and it operates from its hub at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa (ADD).

It flies non-stop from Washington Dulles, Newark, Chicago O’Hare, Houston, and multiple European cities, with onward connections to virtually every safari destination in both east and southern Africa.

For travellers wanting to keep their money with an African carrier, Ethiopian is the most comprehensive option on the continent at the moment.

Kenya Airways operates out of Nairobi, and it is the natural choice if your holiday is going to include an East Africa-focused itinerary. It connects well to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda, and it has a partnership with KLM, which means it has convenient codeshare options from Amsterdam for European travellers.

South African Airways has resumed operations after suffering a couple of setbacks, and in late 2025 the carrier recorded significant capacity growth, with a 33.5 per cent increase in available seats, and talk of expanding its high-demand routes. It is also the most useful carrier for domestic and regional connections within southern Africa.

RwandAir is fast becoming one of Africa’s most in-demand airlines. Modern, efficient, with an expanding network across Africa and beyond, it is a particularly good option for east and central African routing and has direct services from London Gatwick.

European Carriers with African Routes

Aside from African-based carriers, there are several European airlines with regular routes to various African destinations.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines operates direct flights from Amsterdam to Nairobi, Kilimanjaro, Entebbe, Dar es Salaam, and Johannesburg, making it one of the most practical European carriers for safari travellers. At the moment, it is one of the best premium choices for those travelling to east and southern Africa.

British Airways flies direct from London Heathrow to Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Nairobi. For UK-based travellers, although perhaps pricy, it is the most reliable long-haul option and it has a renowned business class service on its Johannesburg route.

Lufthansa is particularly popular with Namibia-bound travellers, with a direct Frankfurt to Windhoek service that removes the need for a southern African transit. It also serves Johannesburg and Cape Town from Frankfurt and Munich.

Air France connects Paris Charles de Gaulle to Nairobi, Johannesburg, and several west and central African cities. Flights are frequent, comfortable and reliable.

Turkish Airlines has steadily built one of the most geographically complete African networks of any non-African carrier, connecting Istanbul to over 60 African destinations.

In May 2026, it added new flights connecting Istanbul with Monrovia via Accra, continuing its expansion into West Africa. For travellers from central and eastern Europe or Asia connecting through Istanbul, Turkish Airlines flights are an option worth looking into.

The Ever-Popular Gulf Carriers

Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways are likely to always be excellent choices, particularly for travellers from North America, Australia, and Asia for whom a Middle Eastern connection is often the norm to break the tedious nature of a long-haul flight.

Emirates connects onward to Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and several other African cities.

Qatar Airways is strong on east and southern Africa and consistently rates highly for its amazing in-flight service.

Etihad covers the major gateways from its Abu Dhabi hub.

Although these airlines are a great choice for most, they are not, however, the default answer for everyone.

A British traveller flying, for instance, to Johannesburg via Dubai will end up adding several hours to what is already a long journey. The direct British Airways or KLM routing is almost always more time-efficient.

Moving Around Once You are in Africa

Getting to Africa is one thing. Making your way around it, and doing so in a way that suits your travel style and fits in perfectly with your itinerary is a completely different story.

Only about 19 per cent of African city pairs have direct flights, according to IATA estimates, which means intra-African routing often requires you to have a connection through a regional hub.

Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and Johannesburg are the three most useful transit points for building a multi-country itinerary.

For southern Africa specifically, Airlink launched twice-weekly Johannesburg to Zanzibar services in mid-2026, and this is proving to be the ideal option for travellers combining a Kruger or Botswana itinerary with a beach break.

Airlink also operates an extensive domestic network within South Africa and connects to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, and beyond.

Smaller charter operations generally handle the final legs into remote safari destinations.

These light aircraft transfers are a common feature of the luxury safari circuit and will usually be arranged through the lodge or operator.

They are not bookable on standard airline platforms and require separate coordination, usually through a travel consultant familiar with the specific properties involved.