African airlines’ traffic rose 10.3% in 2025, scrambled to accommodate demand

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said that December 2025 traffic for African airlines rose 10.3% over December 2024, while the continent’s airlines’ annual traffic rose 7.8% in 2025 versus the prior year.

The region finished 2025 with the fastest growth rate and highest load factor of any region. December 2025 traffic rose 7.5% compared to December 2024.

It stated this in its 2025 full-year and December 2025 passenger market performance reports, which showed record-high demand.

Other international passenger markets show that Asia-Pacific airlines posted a 10.9% rise in full-year international traffic in 2025 compared to 2024. Capacity rose 10.2%, and the load factor rose 0.5 ppt to 84.4%, while European carriers’ full-year traffic climbed 6.0% versus 2024.

Capacity increased 5.9%, and load factor rose 0.1 ppt to 84.1%. For December, demand climbed 8.4% compared to the same month in 2024.

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 6.7% increase in traffic in 2025 compared to 2024. Capacity increased 5.8%, and load factor climbed 0.7 ppt to 81.6%. December demand climbed 9.5% compared to the same month in 2024.

North American airlines reported a 2.1% annual increase in traffic in 2025 compared to 2024. Capacity increased 2.4%, and load factor fell -0.2 ppt to 83.9%. Both traffic and capacity growth were the slowest of any region in 2025. December 2025 traffic rose 3.5% compared to the year-ago period.

Latin American airlines posted an 8.6% year-over-year increase in traffic in 2025 compared with full-year 2024. Annual capacity climbed 10.2% and load factor declined -1.2 ppt to 83.6% (the sharpest load factor fall of any region). December demand climbed 8.2% compared to December 2024.

Domestic full-year demand reached record highs for passenger numbers and load factors. Growth slowed compared to the strong rebound in 2024.

The standout performer in 2025 Domestic RPK was Brazil, which increased by 11.1% from 2024. The United States saw its domestic market contract by -0.6%.

The sharpest increase in load factor was in Japan (+3.4 ppt), whereas the United States recorded the largest decline (-1.9 ppt).

Although domestic Indian travel also saw a sharp (-1.2 ppt) decline in load factor, it still recorded the highest load factor overall (85.2%). Australia had the lowest load factor, but this was still a relatively healthy 81.2%.

According to the clearing house for more than 300 global airlines, “2025 saw demand for air travel grow by 5.3% with international demand growing by 7.1% and domestic by 2.4%. This returns industry growth to align with historical growth patterns after the robust post-COVID rebound. The strong and continuous increase in demand puts into sharp focus two key challenges—decarbonization and supply chain.”

The first, decarbonisation, it reiterated, will protect long-term growth, stressing that governments whose economies grow because of aviation and whose citizens thirst for connectivity need to provide a supportive fiscal policy framework to rapidly accelerate progress, particularly in the energy sector’s growth of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production.

IATA further stated that supply chain challenges were the biggest headache for airlines in 2025, noting that people clearly wanted to travel more, but airlines were continually disappointed by unreliable delivery schedules for new aircraft and engines, maintenance capacity constraints, and resulting cost increases estimated at more than $11 billion.

Airlines scrambled to accommodate the demand by keeping aircraft in service longer and filling more seats on every flight.

“With load factors just shy of 84%, it’s clear that these measures were an effective band-aid, with a real solution needed.  It’s vital that 2025 proves to be the nadir of the supply chain crisis, and 2026 marks a rebound. Every new aircraft means a quieter, cleaner fleet, with more capacity and flight options than at any previous point in history, which is what airlines and their customers want to see,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Wole Shadare