ADDIS ABABA, May 29 – African airlines recorded stronger passenger traffic and improved seat utilization in April 2026 as travel demand across international routes continued to recover, according to new data released by the International Air Transport Association.
The latest figures show that African carriers experienced growth in passenger demand that outpaced capacity expansion, helping airlines fill a larger proportion of available seats.
International passenger demand among African airlines increased by 2.2% compared with the same period last year, while available capacity expanded by a more modest 1.2%.
As a result, the region’s load factor, a key indicator measuring how effectively airlines fill available seats, improved to 77.9%, up 0.7 percentage points from April 2025.
The performance suggests that airlines across the continent are benefiting from stronger travel activity on major international routes while maintaining disciplined capacity growth.
According to IATA, the increase in demand relative to capacity enabled African carriers to improve operational efficiency despite ongoing challenges facing the global aviation sector.
Globally, passenger traffic weakened during April as geopolitical tensions and disruptions in key markets weighed on air travel demand.
Worldwide passenger demand declined by 3.4% year-on-year, while overall airline capacity fell by 2.9%, leaving the global load factor at 83.1%.
International passenger traffic experienced an even steeper decline, falling 5.3% compared with the previous year, while international capacity dropped 5.1%.
IATA noted that aviation markets were significantly affected by disruptions in the Middle East, where ongoing conflict impacted flight schedules, passenger flows and airline operations.
The association said that excluding the Middle East, global passenger demand would have posted growth of approximately 1.2%, underscoring the significant influence of regional instability on worldwide aviation performance.
Despite broader global headwinds, Africa’s aviation sector continued to show resilience, supported by improving connectivity, rising travel demand and expanding economic activity across several key markets.
