The importance of former colonial patterns in Africa on the market for airline services

This paper focuses on trends in the geographical distribution of air transportation growth in Africa paying particular attention to the overhanging legacy effects of the historical economic-political structures of the continent on emerging patterns of airline development. In particular, we examine the role of the colonial pasts on clusters of air movements between African countries from 1997 to 2011. Of particular interest is whether the patterns of air service supply have changed over this period, and, if so, whether there has been a movement away from any linkages that may have existed between the old colonial blocks.