African Airlines Achieve 9% Capacity Growth in July 2026

In July 2026, African airlines recorded the highest growth in international passenger capacity globally, increasing by 9.0% year-on-year, as reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The demand for international passengers on African carriers rose by 6.4% during the same month, although the growth in capacity outpaced demand, resulting in a load factor decrease to 74.1%.

In comparison, European carriers saw a 3.1% increase in demand, while Asia-Pacific airlines experienced a 0.7% decline. North American carriers reported a 2.3% decline, and Middle Eastern carriers faced the largest drop at 9.5%.

Overall, global passenger demand rose by 0.2% year-on-year, with a capacity increase of 0.3%. IATA expressed confidence in demand for the remainder of the year, predicting a nearly 3% capacity expansion in September.

Nigeria ranked fifth among Africa’s largest aviation markets by total scheduled capacity, following Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, and Ethiopia, with Egypt leading at 2.9 million scheduled seats in July.