Total scheduled airline capacity across Africa reached 25.8 million seats in September 2026, marking a robust 9.4% growth compared to the same month in 2025. Amidst this broader continental expansion, Ethiopian Airlines has firmly maintained its premier position as the largest carrier in Africa.

According to the latest data released by aviation analytics firm OAG, Ethiopian Airlines operated an impressive 2.1 million seats (specifically 2,087,386 seats) in September 2026. This figure reflects a solid 10.0% year-on-year increase from the 1,897,820 seats recorded in September 2025.

Trailing the leading carrier, Safair secured the second position with 1,076,166 seats ( 7.1% growth), while Egyptair followed closely in third with 890,773 seats ( 6.7% growth). Other prominent operators in the upper tier, such as Royal Air Maroc and Air Algerie, posted notable growth rates of 19.2% and 13.3% respectively.

Complementing the airline’s stellar performance, OAG data highlights that Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) remains a critical and high-traffic transit node on the continent. Handling 1.19 million seats alongside a healthy 6.5% year-on-year growth rate, Addis Ababa has successfully secured its position as the second-busiest airport in Africa, trailing only Cairo International Airport.

On a national level, Ethiopia’s total country capacity market climbed to 1,406,600 seats in September 2026, representing a 6.3% annual increase. While Egypt leads the continent in total market capacity with 3.1 million seats and South Africa follows with 2.43 million seats, Ethiopia’s unique structural strength continues to be anchored by its peerless international and regional network connectivity.

Industry metrics indicate a thriving overall aviation climate across Africa. International capacity grew by 8.9% to reach 20 million seats, while domestic capacity expanded faster by 11.6% to hit 5.72 million seats. Mainline carriers continue to dominate the market landscape, retaining roughly 80% of the total market share.

Ethiopia is finalizing preparations to double its electricity supply to neighboring Kenya, scaling total export volume up to 400 MW, according to Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP). Scheduled to take effect in December 2026, this expansion marks a major milestone in East Africa’s advancing regional power integration.

Destalem Hailu, Deputy CEO for the Transmission Business Sector at EEP, stated that technical and related works between the two nations have reached their final stages, paving the way for the volume increase. Under the revised arrangement, Kenya Power will import up to 400 MW during peak demand periods, while lowering offtake to 150 MW during off-peak hours—updating the previous structure of 200 MW at peak and 65 MW off-peak.

The Ethiopia-Kenya electricity trade traces back to a landmark power purchase agreement signed in 2012, which envisioned Kenya importing up to 400 MW upon completion of transmission infrastructure. Although construction delays pushed back implementation, the 500-kilovolt Ethiopia-Kenya High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector became operational in late 2022. Stretching 1,045 kilometers from Wolayta-Sodo in Ethiopia to Suswa in Kenya, the transmission line was constructed at a cost of $1.26 billion with financing from the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

While a 20-year power purchase agreement was signed in 2022, a new framework was established via a power supply agreement signed in July 2026 between Ethiopian Electric Utility and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company. Under this arrangement, Ethiopia supplies electricity at a rate of approximately 24.07 Birr (about $0.15) per kilowatt-hour, inclusive of a capacity (demand) charge.

The financial benefits are already materializing: according to World Bank data, Kenya saved approximately $10 million during its first year of importing electricity from Ethiopia by displacing expensive thermal generation and lowering overall supply costs.

Beyond Kenya, Ethiopia is actively expanding its electricity exports southward. EEP disclosed that Ethiopia is currently supplying 100 MW of electricity to Tanzania on a pilot basis, with regular power sales to commence once infrastructure upgrades between Kenya and Tanzania are fully completed.

This development positions Ethiopia as a central hub in the emerging regional electricity market. The Kenya-Tanzania link is expected to eventually connect further south to Zambia, laying the groundwork for broader integration between Eastern and Southern African power systems. Currently, Ethiopia exports electricity to Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania, and Sudan, with new agreements underway with South Sudan and expressions of future interest from Somalia.

Ethiopia has rapidly ascended to become Africa’s fourth-largest remittance recipient, pulling in an estimated US$7.14 billion in formally recorded inflows. According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) Sending Money Home 2026 report, this milestone represents an extraordinary 824% surge in Ethiopia’s remittance receipts since 2016.

These private financial transfers have evolved into an indispensable macroeconomic pillar for the country. Amid persistent foreign-exchange constraints, Ethiopia’s 2025 remittance inflows equate to roughly 43% of total export value and account for approximately 5% of the national gross domestic product (GDP).

The report positions Ethiopia firmly alongside continental leaders Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, and Kenya, which collectively capture nearly three-quarters of all remittances flowing into Africa.

Across the wider Eastern African region, remittance totals jumped by 174% over the decade to reach US$22 billion. A defining feature of these flows is their deep penetration into remote areas; Eastern Africa records the highest estimated rural share of remittances on the continent at 51%.

Despite this exponential growth, transferring funds remains subject to friction. The IFAD emphasized that the average non-bank cost to send money to Ethiopia stood at 4.2% in 2025. While more competitive than the broader regional average of 7.2%, it remains above the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing transfer costs below 3%.

Global trends highlight an accelerating shift toward digital channels, with more than half of all international remittances initiated digitally in 2025.

The Ethiopian Heritage Authority has confirmed to Capital that it has initiated high-level discussions to block the commercial auction of a sacred, richly illustrated ancient manuscript once linked to Emperor Tewodros II. The artifact was scheduled to be auctioned from September 13 to 18, 2026, coinciding with exhibition events in Abu Dhabi.

Known as the “Gondarine Gospel,” the manuscript was listed for sale by “Inlibris,” a rare book and manuscript dealership based in the United Arab Emirates. With a starting guide price of 250,000 Euros (£214,550), the precious holy book has ignited renewed global controversy over the ongoing trade of cultural assets looted during the colonial era.

Prepared between 1730 and 1740, the manuscript is written in Ge’ez on vellum and stands as a magnificent testament to Ethiopian religious art. It contains the complete text of the Gospel of Luke, most of the Gospel of John, and 235 detailed paintings depicting Old and New Testament historical events, miracles, and the resurrection.

During the 1868 Battle of Magdala, British troops raided the mountain fortress of Emperor Tewodros II, plundering numerous sacred books, crosses, and royal treasures from northern Abyssinia.

While Inlibris acknowledges the historical circumstances of how the manuscript was removed, it has defended its right to sell it. According to the auction organizers, the artifact possesses a chain of ownership spanning over a century and a half. Following the 1868 campaign, it came into the possession of Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, and subsequently passed through a succession of commercial, institutional, and private collections, including the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Schøyen Collection.

Dr. Alula Pankhurst, a renowned British-Ethiopian historian and grandson of the activist Sylvia Pankhurst, noted that strong moral arguments dictate that looted cultural heritage must not be treated as commercial merchandise. Pankhurst urged Inlibris to cancel the sale and consult with Ethiopian authorities to ensure the artifact returns to its rightful home at the National Museum of Ethiopia.

In response to the mounting backlash, Inlibris suggested it could sell the manuscript back to Ethiopian institutions at a “preferential price” as a “gesture of goodwill.” However, the firm maintained that the transaction must be treated as a standard commercial purchase rather than an acknowledgment of any title defect or formal restitution claim.

Abebaw Ayalew (Prof), Director General of the Ethiopian Heritage Authority, firmly rejected the dealer’s preconditions and condemned the auction process.

The Director General told Capital that a formal letter had been dispatched to the auction organizers demanding an immediate halt to the sales process and the initiation of unconditional repatriation procedures.

The confrontation comes as Ethiopia continues to score major victories in recovering its dispersed heritage. This week alone, 17 ancient spiritual parchment manuscripts that had left the country under various circumstances were successfully returned to Ethiopia.

Abebaw stated that efforts to recover other heritage items will be intensified, emphasizing that many more Ethiopian artifacts are expected to return in the near future. According to the Authority, over the past seven years, more than 67 heritage items that had been illegally smuggled out or taken abroad have been successfully repatriated.