• African airlines saw 5.3% passenger traffic growth in September 2025, IATA reports.
• Regional capacity rose 5.1%, with load factor reaching 74.7%.
• Africa’s 2025 passenger traffic projected to hit 273 million, ACI says.
  

In September 2025, African airlines recorded a 5.3 percent year-on-year increase in passenger traffic, while capacity rose by 5.1 percent, according to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The region’s load factor reached 74.7 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from September 2024.

The trend was positive across all global regions, though growth remained moderate overall. Asia-Pacific posted the strongest expansion with 7.4 percent, followed by the Middle East (6.3 percent), Latin America (5.3 percent), Europe (4 percent), and North America (2.5 percent). Global traffic rose 3.6 percent, driven by a 5.1 percent increase in international flights and 0.9 percent growth in domestic routes. The worldwide load factor averaged 83.4 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier.

“Solid international demand drove 90% of September’s 3.6% overall growth,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “Importantly, the capacity expansion slightly nudged ahead of demand growth at 3.7%.  Load factors, nonetheless, remained very strong. With November flight schedules indicating further expansion, airlines are gearing up for continued growth into the year-end holiday season, despite the severe constraints of unresolved supply chain issues.”

According to the latest projections from Airports Council International (ACI), passenger traffic in Africa is expected to reach 273 million travelers in 2025, representing 9.4 percent annual growth.

Henoc Dossa