The conquest for the African airspace: The movers and shakers – Part II

PART II
Intracontinental point-to-point air connectivity

This is the second part of a two-part series, where we explore the Intra-African airspace market, the movers and the shakers.

Introduction

The role of air transportation is to establish connections across international borders, facilitating the movement of goods and individuals from various backgrounds for purposes such as trade, tourism, and other endeavors, all while significantly reducing travel time.

On January 1, 1914, a significant milestone marked the beginning of a new era in commercial passenger air travel. It was on this date that the first scheduled domestic passenger airline service took flight, utilizing a flying boat to traverse Tampa Bay in Florida, USA, completing the journey in approximately 23 minutes. Among the passengers on this groundbreaking flight was Abram C. Pheil, a former mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, who became the very first commercial airline passenger. Around six years later, on August 25, 1919, the British company Air Transport and Travel Ltd (AT&T) accomplished another extraordinary feat by operating the world’s first international passenger flight. Originating in London and bound for La Bourget, Paris, this momentous journey carried a sole passenger, George Stevenson-Reece, a renowned journalist who became the world’s first documented international air traveler. These remarkable events captured the public’s fascination, leading to the widespread adoption of such services, and subsequently inspiring competitors to enter the industry.