African Airlines record modest growth amid surge in global passenger demand – IATA

September 3, 2025 in Business, Travel & Tourism by Editor

African carriers registered a modest uptick in traffic in July 2025, with demand rising 2.8pc year-on-year, according to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The growth, while positive, lagged behind the global average increase of 4.0pc.

Capacity on African routes grew by 2.3pc during the month, with airlines in the region achieving a passenger load factor of 74.9pc – well below the global industry average of 85.5pc. Even so, IATA noted that Africa-Asia routes recorded notable momentum, reflecting strengthening economic and travel links between the two regions.

Despite the improvement, Africa’s overall market share in global passenger air travel remained limited, accounting for just 2.2pc of total traffic in July. This underscores the long-standing challenge of scale and connectivity for the continent’s carriers, even as demand for travel continues to expand across emerging markets.

Globally, passenger traffic continued its steady climb during the northern summer season. Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), rose 4.0pc year-on-year. Available seat capacity (ASK) increased by 4.4pc, leaving the global passenger load factor at 85.5pc – a marginal dip of 0.4 percentage points compared to July 2024.

International markets were the main driver of growth. Demand for international travel expanded 5.3pc compared to the same period last year, with capacity rising 5.8pc. This left international load factors at 85.6pc. Domestic markets, by contrast, posted a more subdued 1.9pc growth in demand against a 2.4pc capacity increase, translating into a load factor of 85.2pc.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said the results reflected a solid summer for global carriers, particularly those operating internationally.

“It’s been a good northern summer season for airlines. Momentum has grown over the peak season with July demand reaching 4pc growth. That trend appears across all regions and is particularly evident for international travel, which strengthened from 3.9pc growth in June to 5.3pc in July. Moreover, with flight volumes showing a 2pc year-on-year increase for September after five months of decelerating growth, airlines are positioned to take advantage of this market momentum into the coming months,” Walsh said.

For African carriers, the data highlight both progress and persistent gaps. The continent’s relatively low load factor points to underutilised capacity and weaker efficiency compared to global peers, yet the surge in Africa-Asia traffic provides a potential growth avenue as economic cooperation deepens.