African airlines saw an 11.9% increase in passenger demand in September 2024 compared to the previous year, achieving a load factor of 76.0%.

This load factor, which indicates the proportion of available seats occupied by paying passengers, reflects efficient seat utilization.

Demand growth, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK), demonstrates a strong recovery in Africa’s aviation sector, while capacity, represented by Available Seat Kilometers (ASK), increased by 6.6%.

This data, as reported in the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest global passenger demand update, highlights Africa’s strengthening position in global aviation.

“African airlines saw demand grow by 11.9% year-on-year. Capacity increased by 6.6% compared to the previous year. Load factor increased to 76.0% (+3.6 percentage points compared to September 2023)” report partially read.

The IATA report showed a broader global demand growth of 7.1% year-on-year for September 2024, with the average load factor across all regions reaching 83.6%, up 1.0 percentage points year-on-year .

Demand growth in Africa has positioned it as one of the fastest-recovering regions, highlighting the continent’s growing competitiveness in the global aviation landscape.

More perspectives

In other global regions, performance varied. Asia-Pacific airlines led the global recovery, achieving 18.5% growth in passenger demand, supported by 17.7% capacity growth and a load factor of 82.6%, reflecting strong demand and efficient use of places.

• European carriers, close behind, saw demand increase by 7.6% and recorded the highest load factor at 85.9%, indicating strong operational efficiency.

• Middle East airlines saw moderate growth with a 4.4% increase in demand and a load factor of 81.4%, indicating a steady recovery in the region.

• In North America, demand rose more modestly by 0.5%, with load factor falling to 84.4%, suggesting limited passenger growth relative to capacity.

• Latin American airlines saw a notable 12.4% increase in demand, although load factor fell slightly to 84.3% as capacity expansion slightly outpaced passenger growth.

• Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, outlined the benefits and challenges brought by this increase in global travel demand.

• He stressed that each flight makes a significant contribution to economic growth by creating jobs and improving trade, although he warned of a potential “capacity drop” that could limit these gains if infrastructure requirements are not addressed.

• Walsh stressed the need for governments to provide sufficient infrastructure, particularly in airports and air traffic management, to support growth in the aviation industry.

IATA data points to competitive gains by African airlines, with strong growth in passenger demand and improved seat occupancy, positioning the continent well within the broader recovery in the global aviation landscape.

---

Follow us for Breaking News and Market Intelligence.