Onome Amuge

African airlines posted the fastest gains in passenger traffic in August 2025, recording a 7.1 percent year-on-year increase in international demand, according to new data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The region’s carriers outperformed the global average growth of 6.6 percent for international traffic, while also beating capacity expansion of 5.3 percent. This lifted Africa’s load factor (a key measure of airline efficiency), by 1.3 percentage points to 79.7 percent, the highest improvement among all global regions.

 Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said the figures reflected the strength of the 2025 northern summer travel season, with airlines worldwide flying fuller planes than ever despite economic uncertainty and geopolitical risks. “The global growth trend shows no signs of abating. Airlines are doing their best to meet travel demand by maximizing efficiency, making it even more critical for the aerospace manufacturing sector to sort out its supply chain challenges,” Walsh said. 

While the headline figures are encouraging, industry analysts say Africa’s aviation sector still faces structural constraints that could cap the region’s ability to sustain its current momentum.

The IATA report shows that Africa’s 79.7 percent load factor still trails the global average of 86 per cent, reflecting the gap in aircraft utilization and route profitability compared with more developed regions. By contrast, North American carriers, despite sluggish growth of just 1.8 per cent, maintained the world’s highest load factor at 87.5 per cent.

Globally, Asia-Pacific airlines led August’s growth with a 9.8 percent increase in international demand, supported by strong traffic from China and Japan. Latin America followed with 9.0 per cent growth, while Middle Eastern carriers posted 8.2 per cent. European airlines expanded by 5.3 per cent, and North America lagged behind.

Africa’s growth trajectory comes against the backdrop of rising investments in regional connectivity. Initiatives like the African Union’s Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) aim to liberalise the continent’s skies, but implementation has been patchy. Many countries still protect national carriers, limiting competition and raising ticket prices.

The potential prize, however, is substantial. The African Airlines Association estimates that full SAATM implementation could increase air traffic by 27 per cent, adding $4.2 billion to continental GDP and creating nearly 600,000 new jobs.

Private sector players are also moving to capture opportunities. In Nigeria, Air Peace has expanded its fleet to compete on key West African routes, while Ethiopian Airlines continues to strengthen its position as the continent’s leading hub carrier. Yet high operating costs, driven by jet fuel prices, foreign exchange shortages, and multiple taxation, remain pressing challenges.

Globally, IATA highlighted the underperformance of domestic markets, which contributed just 13 percent of overall passenger traffic growth in August, down from 25 per cent a year earlier. The United States, the world’s largest domestic market, continued to falter, with load factors declining for the eighth consecutive month. Brazil was a bright spot, buoyed by government-backed tourism initiatives.