African airlines posted the strongest year‑on‑year traffic growth of any world region in 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), as demand for air travel and cargo surged across the continent.
In its 2025 full‑year and December performance report, IATA says global passenger demand rose 5.3% in 2025, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs), with capacity (available seat kilometres, ASKs) up 5.2% and the overall load factor reaching a record 83.6% for the year. African carriers significantly outpaced this global trend, driving optimism about the continent’s growing role in global aviation.
IATA’s regional breakdown shows that African airlines’ annual traffic rose 7.8% in 2025 compared to 2024, the highest growth rate among all regions and well above the global average of 5.3%.
Capacity for African airlines increased 6.5% in 2025, but load factor climbed 0.9 percentage points to 74.9% — a record high for Africa and the strongest load‑factor improvement of any region, despite still being the lowest regional load factor worldwide. Strong international demand contributed to this performance, with African carriers’ December 2025 traffic rising 10.3% year‑on‑year, the second‑highest monthly growth globally.
“Africa’s airlines delivered the strongest growth in passenger traffic in 2025, reflecting rising connectivity, an expanding middle class, and growing intra‑African and international travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “This demand surge puts into sharp focus two key challenges — decarbonization and the global supply chain crisis — that must be addressed to sustain long‑term growth.”
Globally, domestic demand grew modestly in 2025, up 2.4% year‑on‑year, while capacity expanded 2.5%, with load factor averaging 83.7% (down 0.1 ppt from 2024).
However, the real story for Africa lay in the international market. Full‑year international demand rose 7.1% globally, with capacity up 6.8% and a record full‑year international load factor of 83.5%. African airlines were a key driver of this international expansion, especially on routes to and from Asia and Europe, where trade and tourism flows remained strong.
December 2025 provided a strong finish to the year, with total global demand rising 5.6% and load factor reaching 83.7%, again just below 84% — a sign that airlines, including African carriers, kept fleets full to meet robust demand.
Walsh noted that the strong and continuous increase in demand highlights two major challenges for the industry: decarbonization and supply chain constraints. Airlines wanted to expand capacity with new, more efficient aircraft, but faced delays in aircraft and engine deliveries, limited maintenance capacity, and cost pressures that IATA estimates exceeded $11 billion in 2025.
“Every new aircraft means a quieter, cleaner fleet, with more capacity and more flight options than at any previous point in history, which is what airlines and their customers want,” Walsh said, urging governments to support rapid expansion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and stable fiscal frameworks for the energy sector.
Across Africa, many carriers responded by extending the life of existing aircraft and maximizing seat utilization, effectively using higher load factors as a short‑term “band‑aid” to meet rising demand until new capacity becomes reliably available.
On the cargo side, IATA reported that full‑year 2025 demand, measured in cargo tonne‑kilometres (CTKs), rose 3.4%, while capacity (ACTKs) grew 3.7%, with available trade flowing strongly into e‑commerce and just‑in‑time supply chains.
African airlines saw 6.0% year‑on‑year growth in cargo demand in 2025, with capacity increasing 7.8%. In December 2025, African cargo demand rose 10.1% year‑on‑year, the highest monthly growth of any region, with capacity up 9.8%.
Trade lane data shows a notable shift in 2025, with traffic from Asia–North America falling (–0.8% CTK growth), while Europe–Asia (+10.3%) and Within Asia (+10.0%) corridors grew strongly. African carriers, especially those serving the Middle East–Africa–Asia triangle, benefited from this shift, reinforcing Africa’s role as a key node in the changing global air cargo network.
Looking ahead, IATA expects 2026 air cargo demand to moderate slightly to 2.4%, in line with historical trends, while trade and geopolitical developments, including US tariff policy and the removal of de minimis exemptions, will continue to shape cargo flows.
For African airlines, the 2025 figures are a clear signal of growing regional demand and the potential for deeper integration into global air networks. However, unlocking this potential will require coordinated action by African governments and industry on infrastructure, open skies, and support for sustainable aviation technologies.
“Africa’s 2025 performance is impressive, but it must be the foundation for a more ambitious and sustainable aviation future,” said Walsh. “The continent’s connectivity is no longer a niche market — it is a core engine of global air transport growth.”
