African airlines have emerged as a significant force in the global aviation sector, recording about 16% growth in passenger demand in June 2024.
This growth, reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), highlights the resilience and expanding footprint of African carriers amid a global recovery in air travel.
This strong performance in Africa is measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK), reflecting the total distance travelled by all paying passengers.
The capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASK), also saw a healthy increase of 5.8%, while the load factor—indicative of how effectively airlines are filling their seats jumped by 6.9 percentage points to 77.1%. This improvement in load factor is the largest among all regions.
Globally, passenger demand rose by 9.1% in June 2024 compared to the same month last year, with capacity growing by 8.5%. The overall global load factor remained robust at 85.0%, signalling a balanced recovery across both international and domestic markets. Notably, international travel demand showed strong resilience, with a 12.3% year-on-year increase.
What to know
The Asia Pacific region continues to lead in growth, with a 22.6% rise in RPK levels, driven by sustained demand on most routes, except for the Asia-Middle East corridor, which saw a lower year-on-year growth of 10.1%. Despite this, the Asia-Middle East route remains the third most significant for the Asia Pacific region in terms of RPK, following intra-Asia and Asia-Europe routes. Within Asia, routes maintained double-digit growth, reflecting robust seat demand across almost all route pairs.
The Africa-Asia route stood out with a 38.1% year-on-year increase, making it the fastest-growing regional pair globally. This growth was followed by international traffic within Asia, which rose by 29.2%. The consistent demand across these routes underlines the strong recovery in international travel and the increasing connectivity between Africa and Asia.
What IATA’s Director General said
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, commented on the positive market dynamics, stating, “Demand grew across all regions as the peak Northern summer travel season began in June. With overall capacity growth lagging in demand, we saw a very strong average load factor of 85% achieved in both domestic and international operations. Operating with such high load factors is both good and challenging. It makes it even more important for all the stakeholders to operate with equal levels of efficiency to minimize delays and get travellers to their destinations on schedule.”
What we know
With some of the top 15 busiest airports on the continent positioned in Cairo, home to Africa’s second-oldest airport, to Johannesburg, which uniquely offers direct flights to six continents, the continent’s aviation sector is on a robust recovery trajectory.
African airlines’ performance is particularly noteworthy given the global challenges in the aviation industry, including economic pressures and fluctuating fuel prices. The 16% growth in passenger demand not only signals a robust recovery from the pandemic’s impact but also indicates increasing confidence and investment in Africa’s aviation sector.
As the aviation industry continues its path to recovery, African carriers are well-positioned to capitalize on this growth, further integrating the continent with global markets.
The positive momentum seen in June 2024 sets a promising outlook for the rest of the year, with the potential for continued expansion and increased market share in the global aviation landscape.
This sustained growth across African routes, coupled with strategic investments and partnerships, could see Africa’s airlines playing a more significant role in the global aviation sector, attracting both passengers and investors keen on tapping into the continent’s expanding connectivity and economic potential.
