Air traffic increasing steadily in Cameroon

Air traffic has recorded an intense activity leading to a 5% increase in the first half of 2014, compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the statistical bulletin published Thursday by the authority of the civil aviation of Cameroon (CCAA).

International destinations increased by 45%, against 20% and 3% respectively for sub-regional and internal movements. Regular commercial flights, the report says, registered an increase of 9% over the first half of 2014, from 9571 movements in 2013 to 10.394, with 279.393 arrivals, 319 958 passengers boarding and 120.164 transit for all types of flights.

In the first half of 2014, Cameroon recorded 8426,07 tons of freight and mail), against 7981,36 tons in the same period last year, or an annual growth rate of 6 per cent attributed, in large part, to the improvement of collection, recording and transmission of data, especially in Douala by which most goods pass.

22 international destinations served regularly by the airports in Cameroon, Paris Charles de Gaulle has confirmed its ranking as the most popular destination (26% of passengers), far ahead of Brussels (13%), Addis Ababa (8%), Istanbul (7%), Nairobi and Libreville (5% each), Malabo, Lagos, Casablanca, Cotonou (4% each), Abidjan, Bangui, Brazzaville, Lome and N'Djamena every (3% each).

The CCAA also noted an increase of 49% of the non-commercial flights in military and humanitarian during the study period, mainly to the Central African Republic plagued by civil war and in the northern part of Cameroon, where the crusade against the Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram is growing over the weeks.

At the level of the performance of regular commercial airlines, Air France seized the lion's share in the transport of passengers (approximately 22% of the total traffic) to Cameroon, followed by the national airline CAMAIR-CO (13%), Brussels Airlines (11%), Ethiopian Airlines (8%), Zack and Turkish Airlines (7% each), Kenya Airways (5%), Royal Air Morocco (4%), South African Airways, Air Côte d'Ivoire and international CEIBA (3% each).

At the same time, Air Senegal (-52%), Angola Airlines (-33%), South African Airways (-7%) and Royal Air Morocco (-6%) showed a decrease in percentage of passenger traffic.