Africa’s annual passenger traffic rose 7.8% in 2025 compared to the previous year, full year 2025 passenger capacity was up 6.5%, and the continent’s passenger load factor climbed 0.9 ppt to 74.9%. This was the lowest load factor among all global regions, but it was a record high for Africa and the largest increase in load factor anywhere else in the world.

These are the newly released figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The trade association for the majority of the world’s airlines, IATA, provided analyses of demand for passenger air travel and air cargo based on year-on-year traffic and capacity data for full-year 2025 vs 2024 and for December 2025 vs December 2024.   

The numbers show that passenger traffic for African airlines rose 10.3% in December 2025 compared with December 2024, and the continent accounted for 2.2% of the global passenger air travel market in 2025. 

“2025 saw demand for air travel grow by 5.3%, with international demand growing by 7.1% and domestic by 2.4%. This returns industry growth to align with historical growth patterns after the robust post-Covid rebound. The strong and continuous increase in demand puts into sharp focus two key challenges—decarbonisation and supply chain,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. 

He explained that the first, decarbonisation, will protect future long-term growth. He notes that governments whose economies grow because of aviation and whose citizens thirst for connectivity need to provide a supportive fiscal policy framework to rapidly accelerate progress, particularly in the energy sector, to expand Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production. 

“The second, supply chain challenges, was the biggest headache for airlines in 2025. People clearly wanted to travel more, but airlines were continually frustrated by unreliable delivery schedules for new aircraft and engines, maintenance capacity constraints, and resulting cost increases estimated at more than US$11 billion. Airlines scrambled to accommodate the demand by keeping aircraft in service longer and filling more seats on every flight. With load factors just shy of 84%, it’s clear that these measures were an effective band aid, but we need a real solution. It’s vital that 2025 proves to be the nadir of the supply chain crisis, and 2026 marks a rebound. Every new aircraft means a quieter, cleaner fleet, with more capacity and flight options than at any previous point in history, which is what airlines and their customers want to see,” said Walsh.

Cargo growth 

Meanwhile, in terms of the air cargo market, African carriers reported a 6% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in 2025, and capacity for carriers on the continent increased by 7.8% year-on-year. In December 2025, year-on-year demand in Africa increased 10.1%, the highest among regions, while capacity increased 9.8%. 

Africa still accounted for a mere 2.1% of the total global air cargo market in 2025, and IATA noted that full-year yields fell 1.5% year-on-year. This is the smallest decline in three years as a more normal supply-demand balance is achieved, and the exceptionally strong yields of Covid and post-Covid continue to taper. Despite competitive pressure capping air cargo’s pricing power, yields remain 37.2% above 2019 levels.

“Air cargo delivered a strong performance in 2025, with demand up 3.4% year-on-year. Global e-commerce strength drove volumes, even as trading relationships with the US faced rising tariffs, the removal of de minimis tariff exemptions, and continuing policy uncertainty. 

Air cargo rose to the occasion. It adapted quickly to support global businesses and supply chains as they front-loaded product deliveries ahead of tariff impositions and adjusted to rising demand within Asia and between Asia and Europe as US-Asia trade stagnated,” said Walsh. 

“Growth in 2026 is expected to moderate slightly to 2.4%, in line with historical trends. We can expect that demand will continue to be shaped by trade and geopolitical developments. Whatever trading patterns emerge, we can be confident that reliance on air cargo to keep global supply chains running will remain, with carriers responding to the challenge by deploying capacity and designing their networks for optimum flexibility,” Walsh added. 

-ebrandt@nepc.com.na