Blue Swan Daily
... new research from data intelligence specialist ForwardKeys has shown the extraordinary rise of Ethiopia as a destination and a transfer hub for long-haul travel to Sub-Saharan Africa. The data shows that Addis Ababa (Ethiopia’s capital) has grown its volume of international transfer passengers to Sub-Saharan Africa, five years in a row (2013-17).
The COO of Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), Fundi Sithebe, has highlighted concerns over Johannesburg losing its leading hub status, observing that South African Airways (SAA) has decreased international seat capacity at Johannesburg’s Oliver R Tambo International Airport (JNB) by 13% between Mar-2018 and Sep-2018. She noted SAA now accounts for 46% of passengers at the airport,
“The threat is real that East and West Africa will take over from Johannesburg as a hub. We really need to entice passenger [growth] policies with a dominant airline at Johannesburg,” she says.
I suggest that is old style thinking. JNB was always an anomalous hub for the continent given it's location but the ZA economy justifies it. The folks at ACSA should just make their airports very good and if another hub develops in the north - then it does. It's called commerce!
The article gives a pretty balanced view of other possible hubs and the reasons for them developing - or not. They also challenge the idea that a 'dominant airline' is always a good thing.