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
4. Mohammed V International Airport (CMN): 114 flights every day
- 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
Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), located in Casablanca, is the largest airport in Morocco and one of North Africa’s key aviation hubs.
The airport serves 107 destinations through 27 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic. In 2024, it was listed as the fifth busiest airport in Africa with 104 flights daily. it remains a central connection point between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
The busiest route from Mohammed V International Airport is the connection to Paris-Orly (ORY) in France, with an average of 41 weekly flights, accounting for about 5% of all departures.
Royal Air Maroc dominates operations at the airport, with roughly 576 scheduled take-offs each week, nearly 11 times more than the second-largest carrier, Air Arabia Maroc.
Top most frequented routes
- Paris Orly Airport (France) –7 to 10 flights daily.
- Paris Charles De Gaulle (France) –7 to 8 flights daily.
- Marrakesh Menara Airport (Morocco) –5 flights daily.
- Inezgane Airport, Agadir (Morocco) –4–5 flights daily.
- Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (Spain)–3–5 flights daily
4. Mohammed V International Airport (CMN): 114 flights every day
- 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
