ABSTRACT
This introduction provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book covers some of the main themes that have become important in ongoing debates about the African air transportation market, and the political economy of its development. It looks at the larger picture of African air transportation in the early part of the 21st century, and highlights some of the ongoing trends that would seem of an enduring nature. The book also looks specifically at the emergent airline network configurations within Africa and discusses the ways in which they have evolved. It pays attention to the more recent period over which many of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa have enjoyed relatively rapid growth and when more liberal economic regulatory regimes have come to the fore.
