African Air Transport Starts 2026 on a Strong Note
African airlines have reported an 11.7% increase in passenger traffic for January, one of the best performances globally. These official figures were released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on March 2, 2026.
Leading the World in Air Freight
Airlines have increased their seat capacity by 10.1% over the past year, with a load factor of 77.4%, representing a 1.1 percentage point increase compared to January 2025. In terms of cargo, Africa has achieved the best global performance, with air freight demand surging by 18.2% and cargo capacity growing by 6.5%. No other region has performed better.
A Still Minority Market
Africa accounts for only 2.2% of the global passenger market, despite being home to nearly 18% of the world's population. The net margins of African airlines are expected to remain between 1% and 2% in 2026, compared to a global average of 3.9%. Fuel costs and regulatory fragmentation continue to weigh on the industry's results. Global demand for air transport has only increased by 3.8% in January, making Africa's performance stand out.
