Top 10 busiest airports in Africa as of July 2025

Africa’s aviation sector is in the middle of a powerful rebound, with airports across the continent recording sharp increases in passenger numbers and flight activity.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), African airlines saw a 9.5% year-on-year growth in international passenger demand in May 2025, outpacing most global regions.

A key driver of this growth was the sharp increase in traffic on the Africa–Asia corridor, where demand surged 15.9% year-on-year, making it the fastest-growing international route worldwide for the month.

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The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) projects traffic to hit 113 million passengers in 2025, a leap from 98 million in 2024, representing a 15.3% increase. This increase highlights the industry’s resilience and positive trajectory.

This list highlights the busiest airports in Africa, measured by the number of scheduled daily departures. It includes only scheduled passenger flights and excludes freighters or chartered flights. The data is sourced from FlightsFrom.com, a travel tool website that publishes airline routes and schedules worldwide.

Here is the ranking of Africa’s top ten busiest airports by flight traffic as of July 2025

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1. Johannesburg International Airport (JNB) – 249 flights every day

Johannesburg International Airport (JNB) ) is the largest airport in South Africa. It has maintained its position as Africa’s busiest aviation hub, recording an average of 249 flights every day as of July 2025

JNB connects passengers to 77 destinations worldwide through 42 scheduled airlines.

Located in Johannesburg, the country’s financial capital, the airport functions as the primary gateway into Southern Africa and serves as the home hub of South African Airways.

In 2024, JNB led the continent, averaging 251 flights daily. While this year’s traffic shows a slight dip, Johannesburg has consistently outpaced other African airports.

The busiest route from Johannesburg International Airport is to Cape Town (CPT), with an average of 289 flights each week, accounting for 16% of all departures.

Airlink operates the highest number of flights, with about 622 scheduled take-offs weekly, followed by Safair as the second-largest carrier.