Africa's Busiest Airports: 8.35 Million Seats in August

In August 2026, Africa's 10 busiest airports collectively offered 8.35 million scheduled departing seats, representing approximately 30.6% of the continent's total capacity of 27.3 million seats, which increased by 8.4% from August 2025. Cairo International Airport was the busiest, with 1.85 million seats, an 8.4% increase year-on-year.

Lagos experienced the fastest growth among these airports, with a 25.6% rise, adding 98,400 seats compared to August 2025. The 10 largest carriers in Africa provided 8.08 million scheduled seats, with Ethiopian Airlines leading at 2.19 million seats, a 10.9% increase from the previous year.

Nigeria's aviation market saw a remarkable 37% growth, reaching 1.22 million scheduled seats, adding 330,700 seats year-on-year, surpassing other top African markets. South Africa maintained its position as the largest domestic aviation market with 1.6 million scheduled seats.