For decades, we Africans have been told to look at our airlines as symbols of national pride. Ethiopian Airlines. Kenya Airways. RwandAir. They are paraded as “African pride,” proof that the continent can soar on its own wings. But how much of this pride is real—and how much is just empty marketing?
Take one simple example. A ticket from Nairobi to Addis Ababa, barely a two-hour flight within Africa, costs the same—or even more—than a ticket from Nairobi all the way to Lisbon or Porto, across continents. How can this make sense? How can we celebrate “African pride” when it is Africans who are punished the most by African airlines?
The Price of Disunity
The truth is harsh: flying within Africa is more expensive than flying out of it. Why? Because African skies are still divided by invisible walls—visa restrictions, protectionist policies, and endless taxes. Instead of integration, we get isolation. Instead of cooperation, we get competition. And the price of this failure is paid by ordinary Africans who dream of traveling, working, or simply connecting with their neighbors.
The Myth of “Pride”
Airlines brand themselves as national treasures, yet their policies often feel like betrayal. Where is the pride in making it easier for a European to reach our capitals than for an African from the next-door country? Where is the pride when Addis to Nairobi costs the same as Nairobi to Europe? This is not African pride. This is economic sabotage disguised as patriotism.
The Future of African Skies
It does not have to be this way. If the African Union’s dream of an open skies agreement—the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)—were fully implemented, flights between African cities could be cheaper, faster, and more frequent. Imagine a Horn of Africa where students can afford to study in neighboring countries, where traders can fly with ease, where families can visit without breaking the bank. That is what real African pride should look like.
The Call We Must Answer
Airlines alone cannot fix this. Governments must step up. Regional blocs like IGAD and the AU must make open skies a reality, not just a slogan. And we, the people, must stop swallowing the “African pride” narrative without questioning it. Pride is not in the name painted on the plane. Pride is in the freedom, dignity, and opportunity it brings to its people.
Until that changes, let us stop calling this system “African pride.” Because right now, it is Africans who pay the highest price for it.