The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of leverage on selected African airlines rnprofitability. Accordingly, secondary data obtained from audited annual reports of purposively rnselected seven airlines for the period 2008 to 2017 were analyzed through fixed effect panel rnregression model by using EVIEWS 10 software package. The study adopted a quantitative and rnexplanatory research approach and design respectively. The effect of both the degree of operating rnand financial leverage on airlines profitability (ROA) was analyzed by inducing control variables rn(operating efficiency, size of airlines, and exchange rate) to isolate the effect of leverage on rnairlinesâ€™ profitability and to capture the effect of variables other than the studyâ€™s main objective rnvariables (degree of operating and financial leverage). The result of the fixed effect regression rnmodel revealed that airlines degree of operating leverage has a positive and statistically rnsignificant effect on profitability (ROA). On the other hand, airlines degree of financial leverage, rnoperating efficiency, size of airlines, and exchange rate have a negative and significant effect on rnselected airlines profitability (ROA). Accordingly based on findings airlines are advised to revise rntheir operating cost and capital structure by increasing the degree of operating leverage (use fixed rnoperating cost) as it maximizes their profitability and optimizing debt financing to easily rnmanageable levels so that it will help them to maximize their profitability.