New Report Reveals African Airlines Are Failing at Payments, And It’s Hurting Their Business

African airlines are falling behind in a critical area that directly impacts their revenue, security, and customer experience — payment systems. A new report by Visa and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) shows that outdated, inefficient, and insecure payment infrastructure is a major vulnerability across the continent’s aviation industry.

The findings, based on a wide-ranging survey dubbed the Airline Payment Maturity Index, reveal that although many African airlines are compliant with basic standards, their systems are far from optimized — leaving money on the table and passengers frustrated.

Inefficiencies Costing Airlines More Than Just Money

The survey, which included AFRAA member and non-member airlines, analyzed the maturity of payment architectures across four critical areas: infrastructure, fraud management, customer experience, and internal processes. The conclusion? African airlines are missing opportunities and exposing themselves to avoidable risks.

Key problems identified:

• Compliance over modernization: While regulatory compliance is a priority, most systems are outdated and don’t support fast, scalable digital transactions.
• Poor digital integration: Airlines have access to digital tools but aren’t fully deploying them to enhance the passenger journey or reduce friction during bookings and check-ins.
• Inadequate fraud management: Fraud detection and prevention remain weak, putting airlines at risk of financial and reputational damage.
• Limited use of payment data: Airlines are collecting payment performance data but aren’t using it effectively to make decisions or adjust strategies.

“The findings underscore the need for modernization and robust fraud management to enhance operational efficiency and passenger experience,” said Michael Berner, Head of Southern and East Africa at Visa. “There’s immense potential for growth if African airlines treat payments not just as a back-end task, but as a revenue driver.”

Payment Systems: The Hidden Lever for Growth

The report positions airline payment systems as a strategic lever — not just a functional one. Efficient, secure, and digital-first payments improve cash flow, reduce costs from fraud, and elevate customer satisfaction. In a region where competition is heating up and margins are tight, these are game-changing advantages.

According to AFRAA Secretary General Abdérahmane Berthé,

“The insights from the survey form important inputs for airlines’ strategic decisions on ways they can leverage enhanced payments performance to bolster revenue growth, decrease fraud, increase passenger experience and augment operational efficiency.”

What’s Next: Whitepaper, Convention, and Workshops

To support African carriers in making these changes, Visa and AFRAA have announced the following steps:

• A whitepaper detailing the full survey insights is now available here.
• A presentation of the findings will be made at the Aviation Stakeholders Convention on May 12, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda.
• Later this year, the two organizations will host a practical workshop to help airlines implement the recommendations from the report.

Why This Matters

Africa’s airline sector is expected to grow significantly in the coming decade, but without the backbone of efficient payment systems, airlines risk being left behind. In a digital economy, customers expect fast, seamless, and secure transactions — and any airline unable to deliver risks losing both revenue and relevance.

African carriers now face a choice: modernize or stagnate.