Why Don’t Planes Fly Between Africa and South America?

Every day, about 100,000 flights take off and land around the world. Europe connects to Asia. Asia connects to North America. North America connects to Europe. The Arctic is crossed. The Pacific is bridged. Even Australia, remote and isolated, is still reachable by dozens of daily flights.

But there’s one conspicuous gap in the global air travel network: the South Atlantic.

Despite Africa and South America being home to nearly 2 billion people—one-quarter of the world’s population—direct flights between the two continents are shockingly rare.

Why?

This is a story about more than geography. It’s a puzzle with clues buried in history, economics, infrastructure, and even colonial legacies. And when you follow the clues to their conclusion, you uncover a part of the world that’s been strategically invisible for decades.

Let’s unravel it.

Part I: Geography Isn’t the Problem

Let’s start with the obvious. Africa and South America are close. Really close.

The shortest straight-line distance between the continents is between:

• Natal, Brazil (population 1.5M)

• Freetown, Sierra Leone (population 1.5M)
  …at just under 2,900 kilometers.

That’s shorter than:

• New York to London (5,500 km)

• LA to Tokyo (8,800 km)

• Sydney to Singapore (6,300 km)

So why are transatlantic flights between South America and Africa nearly nonexistent, while the New York–London route has millions of passengers annually?

It’s not distance. That’s not the barrier.

Part II: The “Emergency Landing” Argument

One explanation often cited is ETOPS, or Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards. It’s a rule that requires two-engine aircraft to stay within 60–180 minutes of an emergency landing spot, in case one engine fails.

And the South Atlantic Ocean is sparse. There’s very little land between the two continents. But it’s not a total void. There are three main islands with runways that could serve as emergency alternatives:

1. St. Helena

   • ~2,000 km off the coast of Angola

   • Small airport with limited capacity

2. Ascension Island

   • A U.S.-UK military base

   • Used for emergency landings (e.g., Delta Airlines, 2013)

3. Fernando de Noronha

   • A Brazilian island only 350 km off the mainland

   • Used for tourism; has a functioning airport

So yes, it’s logistically challenging. But not impossible—especially for long-range, four-engine aircraft or modern ETOPS-certified twin-jets like the Boeing 787 or Airbus A350.

And here’s the thing: these flights have happened before.

Part III: A History of Early South Atlantic Flights

✈️ 1922 – First South Atlantic Flight

A Portuguese crew flies from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro—over multiple legs.

✈️ 1927 – First Non-Stop Crossing

A French aircraft completes a direct flight from Dakar to Brazil.

✈️ 1930s – The Zeppelin Era

Between 1931–1937, Germany’s Graf Zeppelin routinely floated from Frankfurt to Rio.
Yes, airships crossed the South Atlantic more reliably in the 1930s than planes do today.

Why did this corridor fall into disuse?

Because most of Africa was colonized, and colonial air routes were designed to connect with Europe, not South America.

Part IV: The Colonial Legacy

In the early 20th century, South America was mostly independent, but Africa was not. Colonizers like Britain, France, Portugal, and Belgium didn’t design their infrastructure to connect African holdings with Brazil or Argentina. They designed them to extract goods and send them home—to London, Paris, or Lisbon.

So despite the relative ease of flying south, the routes prioritized northbound travel—and that legacy still shapes flight paths today.

When countries gained independence after World War II, new infrastructure could have shifted things. But by then, something else took over.

Part V: Economics

This is where the real answer begins.

Yes, South America and Africa together have almost 2 billion people. But population isn’t the most important factor in flight frequency.

Money is.

Let’s compare:

In terms of wealth, Africa and South America combined account for only about 1/10th the economic output of North America and Europe.

That’s crucial. Because air travel is expensive—and it exists to serve:

1. High-value business travelers

2. Well-off tourists

3. High-volume diaspora and immigration corridors

These dynamics barely exist between South America and Africa.

Part VI: Where Flights Do Exist

There are flights between the two continents. Just… not many.

🛫 From Brazil (South America’s Giant)

• São Paulo → Cape Town

• São Paulo → Johannesburg

• São Paulo → Luanda (Angola)

• São Paulo → Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) → Buenos Aires

🛬 Why Brazil?

Because Brazil:

• Has over 210 million people (nearly half of South America)

• Was a Portuguese colony—like Angola and Cabo Verde

• Shares linguistic and cultural ties with Lusophone Africa

These limited routes mostly serve cultural, diplomatic, and niche business purposes—not mass travel.

Meanwhile, flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town are more about connecting with wealthy tourists or established aviation hubs.

Part VII: So Why Are North Atlantic Flights So Common?

Let’s look at the North Atlantic:

• 2,000 flights per day

• Dozens of daily direct connections from New York, Toronto, and DC to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Amsterdam, and more

Yet, the combined population of North America and Europe is lower than Africa and South America.

So why the difference?

• GDP of North America + Europe: Over $55 trillion

• Shared industries: Tech, finance, diplomacy, defense, media

• Business demand: Executives, conferences, consulates

• Tourism: Year-round, both directions

• Immigration: Strong diaspora networks across the Atlantic

It’s not just about how many people live there. It’s about who’s flying—and why.

Part VIII: Immigration Patterns

This one might surprise you. Immigration also fuels air routes.

• Africans moving abroad often go to Europe

• South Americans often migrate to North America

• Few Africans move to South America, and vice versa

There’s no economic incentive, and very little migration demand.

Where people migrate, they fly. Where people don’t, airlines don’t.

Part IX: Will This Ever Change?

Probably. In fact, it’s already starting to.

Here’s why:

🌍 Africa is rising

• 11 of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies are in Africa

• Countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana are investing heavily in aviation infrastructure

✈️ Brazil is growing

• Still dominant in South America

• Hosting more global trade summits, diplomatic missions, and cultural events

• São Paulo is becoming a true intercontinental hub

📈 Aviation economics are changing

• Smaller, fuel-efficient planes (like the A321XLR) make long-haul, low-demand routes viable

• Cheaper options mean airlines can test routes that weren’t profitable before

So yes—more flights between Africa and South America are coming. Slowly. But steadily.

Part X: The Bottom Line

The reason there are so few flights between Africa and South America isn’t geography.
It’s not weather.
It’s not even safety.

It’s money.

Demand drives routes, and the South Atlantic corridor simply doesn’t have enough economic gravity to make it worthwhile for most airlines. At least not yet.

But as these economies grow, the distance between them will shrink—not physically, but practically. As the money flows, the jets will follow.

Because where money goes, people follow.
And where people go—planes fly.

FAQ: Flights Across the South Atlantic

Are there any direct flights between Africa and South America?
Yes. There are a few, primarily from São Paulo to Cape Town, Johannesburg, Luanda, and Addis Ababa (some via Buenos Aires). But they are rare.

Is the South Atlantic too dangerous to fly over?
No. It’s not more dangerous than the North Atlantic. Modern aircraft are certified for long over-water flights, and there are several emergency landing locations available.

Why are flights between Europe and North America so common?
Because of high economic demand, business ties, immigration, tourism, and shared industries. Together, Europe and North America produce more than $55 trillion annually.

How important is population in flight availability?
Less than you might think. Population density and economic power matter more than raw population numbers. Many remote areas have huge populations but very little air travel.

Will we see more South Atlantic flights in the future?
Yes. As African and South American economies grow and aviation technology advances, more routes will likely become profitable.

What was the earliest South Atlantic flight?
In 1922, Portuguese aviators completed the first flight from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. By 1937, even airships were crossing the South Atlantic regularly.

Liked it? Take a second to support Ryan Hite on Patreon!