African airlines are showing strong signs of recovery and growth in international travel, as passenger demand rose by 6.7% year-on-year in February 2025, according to the latest report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The report also highlighted a 4.0% increase in capacity during the same period, pushing the load factor, the percentage of available seating capacity occupied by passengers, to an impressive 75.3%. This marks a 2-percentage-point improvement compared to February 2024.
While African airlines performed well, global passenger demand rose by 5.6% in February 2025, with capacity increasing by 4.5%. The average global load factor reached 80.2%, up slightly from February 2024.
Asia-Pacific led the way with a 9.5% increase in demand and the highest load factor at 85.7%.
European carriers saw demand grow by 5.7%, with a load factor of 75.5%.
Middle Eastern airlines recorded a modest 3.1% rise in demand and an impressive load factor of 81.9%.
Latin America posted a similar demand increase of 6.7%, though its load factor dropped to 81.7% due to higher capacity growth.
North America, however, experienced a decline in international passenger demand, down by 1.5%, despite an improved load factor of 78.9%.
IATA attributed slower global traffic growth to seasonal factors, including the leap year and Lunar New Year celebrations falling in January instead of February this year.
Africa’s aviation sector has been steadily recovering over recent months:
In January 2025, passenger demand surged by an impressive 14.9%, with capacity growing by 11.2%, achieving a load factor of 75.9%.
In November 2024, demand increased by 12.4%, accompanied by a capacity rise of 6%, resulting in a load factor of 72.9%.
Despite the positive outlook, IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh emphasized the need for vigilance, particularly regarding developments in North America, where both domestic and international traffic have seen declines.
Scheduled flights are expected to increase in March and April, African airlines are well-positioned to capitalize on rising demand while addressing operational challenges to sustain growth.
