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.
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
8. Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS) – 99 flights daily
- 10. Dar Es Salaam (DAR): 84 flights every day
- 9. Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ): 92 flights every day
- 8. Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS) – 99 flights daily
- 7. Cape Town International Airport (CPT) – 102 flights daily
- 6. Houari Boumediene Airport – Algiers, Algeria (ALG): 102 flights daily
- 5. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport – (Nairobi): 108 flights every day
- 4. Mohammed V International Airport (CMN): 114 flights every day
- 3. Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) – 190 flights every day
- 2. Cairo International Airport (CAI) – 242 flights every day
- 1. Johannesburg International Airport (JNB) – 249 flights every day
Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, is the largest and busiest airport in Nigeria, serving as the country’s main aviation hub.
It connects passengers to 46 destinations through 34 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic. In 2024, the airport ranked as the 7th busiest in Africa with an average of 101 daily flights.
The busiest domestic route is Lagos to Abuja (Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport), averaging 203 flights weekly, which represents about 28% of all departures.
Air Peace is the largest airline here, by counting the number of departures, with around 132 scheduled take-offs every week.
Top most frequented routes
- Abuja – Nnamdi Azikiwe International (ABV): 21–28 flights per day
- Port Harcourt International (PHC): 9–11 flights per day
- Accra – Kotoka International (ACC): 5–7 flights per day
- Benin City – Benin Airport (BNI): 3–7 flights per day
- Kano – Mallam Aminu International (KAN): 3–5 flights per day
The most frequent international destinations are Accra (Ghana) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).
8. Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS) – 99 flights daily
- 10. Dar Es Salaam (DAR): 84 flights every day
- 9. Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ): 92 flights every day
- 8. Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS) – 99 flights daily
- 7. Cape Town International Airport (CPT) – 102 flights daily
- 6. Houari Boumediene Airport – Algiers, Algeria (ALG): 102 flights daily
- 5. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport – (Nairobi): 108 flights every day
- 4. Mohammed V International Airport (CMN): 114 flights every day
- 3. Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) – 190 flights every day
- 2. Cairo International Airport (CAI) – 242 flights every day
- 1. Johannesburg International Airport (JNB) – 249 flights every day
