Africa’s aviation sector extended its recovery in March 2026, with total airline capacity rising to 24.8 million seats, a 10.4 per cent increase from the same period last year.
This comes as stronger cross-border travel demand and expanding domestic networks lifted activity across the continent.
Fresh data from OAG’s monthly African aviation market update shows the growth was broad-based, with international routes continuing to dominate traffic while domestic travel also posted robust gains, underscoring sustained momentum in passenger demand and route expansion.
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International capacity accounted for 77 per cent of total seats and rose 10.2 per cent year-on-year, while domestic capacity increased by 10.8 per cent, slightly outpacing international growth. The figures point to a market that is not only recovering but also deepening its regional connectivity.
“Total airline capacity across Africa this month is 24.8 million seats, up 10.4% compared with March 2025.
“International capacity represents 77% of total capacity and is up by 10.2% vs March 2025. Domestic capacity increased by 10.8%,” the report read.
The latest numbers are consistent with wider industry data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which reported that African carriers posted 17.9 per cent growth in passenger demand in January 2026, alongside a 16.3 per cent rise in capacity. Load factor improved to 77 per cent, indicating that the increase in available seats is being matched by stronger passenger uptake rather than excess supply.
The OAG data also highlights the airlines driving the expansion.
Ethiopian Airlines retained its lead as Africa’s largest carrier by seat capacity, offering 1,970,341 seats in March, up 4 per cent from a year earlier. The airline’s continued dominance marks its long-established position as the continent’s most expansive network carrier, with Addis Ababa serving as a major intercontinental hub.
The strongest gains, however, came from several regional and national carriers.
FlySafair posted 1,082,610 seats, a 13.4 per cent increase, while EgyptAir expanded capacity by 7.5 per cent to 848,102 seats.
Two of the sharpest jumps came from North and Southern Africa. Air Algérie grew capacity by 17.9 per cent, while Royal Air Maroc recorded a striking 26.6 per cent increase, suggesting an aggressive expansion of both regional and long-haul routes.
South African Airways, which has been rebuilding following years of restructuring, recorded a 25.5 per cent rise in seat capacity, a sign that its fleet restoration and route recovery plans are beginning to translate into measurable market presence.
By contrast, Kenya Airways was the only carrier among the leading operators to record a decline, slipping 1.3 per cent. That contraction comes as the airline grapples with operational pressures, including aircraft availability issues linked to Dreamliner groundings reported this month.
Beyond African carriers, the growing footprint of international operators such as Ryanair and Emirates points to deepening connectivity between African cities and global aviation hubs, particularly Europe and the Gulf.
That expansion is economically significant. Higher seat capacity typically signals stronger confidence from airlines in route profitability and demand sustainability. It also has spillover implications for tourism, trade, business travel, and cargo flows.
Cargo performance, in particular, has been one of Africa’s strongest aviation stories.
IATA data shows African airlines recorded an 18.2 per cent year-on-year increase in air cargo demand in January 2026, the fastest growth of any region globally, while cargo capacity rose 6.5 per cent. The Africa–Asia corridor has emerged as a particularly strong growth lane, benefiting from rising trade volumes and e-commerce shipments.
This suggests that the sector’s recovery is not being driven solely by passenger traffic but by a broader strengthening of aviation-linked commerce.
However, the growth story is made up of pressure points. A recent Reuters report highlighted rising jet fuel costs and supply constraints across several African markets, a factor that could squeeze margins even as traffic expands. For airlines already operating in cost-sensitive markets, sustained fuel inflation may test the durability of route expansion plans.
Still, the overall trajectory remains firmly positive. The combination of rising passenger demand, stronger cargo flows, restored route networks, and expanding fleet deployment suggests that Africa’s aviation sector is moving beyond a post-pandemic recovery narrative into a new phase of structural growth.
For investors, airport operators, and tourism-dependent economies, the March figures reinforce the view that aviation is once again becoming a critical engine of regional economic activity and continental integration.