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
7. Cape Town International Airport (CPT) – 102 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
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is South Africa’s second-largest airport and an important hub for both domestic and international travel.
As of July 2025, the airport handles an average of 102 daily flights, connecting passengers to 40 destinations through 27 scheduled airlines.
In 2024, Cape Town ranked as the 6th busiest airport in Africa, averaging 103 flights per day.
Safair is currently the largest airline at Cape Town International, operating around 319 departures weekly, followed by Airlink (South Africa) as the second largest carrier.
Top most frequented routes
- Johannesburg International Airport (JNB), South Africa – 37 to 43 flights per day
- Durban International Airport (DUR), South Africa – 12 to 13 flights per day
- Lanseria International Airport (HLA), South Africa – 8 to 9 flights per day
- George Airport (GRJ), South Africa – 2 to 4 flights per day
- Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), South Africa – 2 to 4 flights per day
On the international front, key destinations include Windhoek (WDH), Namibia and London Heathrow (LHR), United Kingdom.
7. Cape Town International Airport (CPT) – 102 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
