African airlines recorded a 7.3% increase in international passenger demand in October 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) data for October 2025 global passenger demand.
Capacity for the region rose by 5.3% year-on-year, while the load factor improved to 74.1%, a 1.4 percentage-point increase compared to October 2024.
Although Africa still posted the lowest load factor globally, the figures show continued upward movement for the region’s carriers in 2025.
Capacity reflects the total number of seats airlines made available, while load factor measures the percentage of those seats that were actually filled by passengers.
“African airlines saw a 7.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 5.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 74.1% (+1.4 ppt compared to October 2024),” the IATA report read in part.
Globally, air travel strengthened in October 2025, with total passenger demand increasing 6.6%, supported by a 5.8% rise in capacity.
Airlines achieved an 84.6% load factor, highlighting broad recovery across most markets. International demand rose 8.5%, outpacing domestic traffic, which grew 3.4%, driven by strong holiday bookings and increased year-end business travel.
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, described October as a “strong month for air travel,” adding that scheduled seat capacity is expected to expand further in November and December. He emphasized that air travel’s resilience remains a “bright spot” amid uncertainties surrounding the global economic outlook for 2026.
Regional international performance outside Africa
The IATA report further highlighted the performance of airlines across other regions in October 2025, providing a global perspective on international air travel trends.
Asia-Pacific airlines saw international passenger demand grow 10.9%, with capacity rising 9.1% year-on-year. Their load factor increased to 84.4%, a 1.4-point improvement compared to the same period in 2024, reflecting strong travel recovery in the region.
- Middle Eastern carriers recorded a 10.7% rise in international demand, supported by an 8.1% increase in capacity. The region’s load factor climbed to 82.5%, up 2.0 points, indicating more efficient seat utilisation amid growing passenger traffic.
- European airlines posted a 7.4% growth in international demand, with capacity up 6.0%. Their load factor reached 86.5%, a 1.2-point gain, maintaining one of the highest efficiency rates among global carriers.
- Latin American carriers experienced a 7.2% increase in international demand, while capacity expanded 8.2%. Their load factor slipped slightly to 84.6%, down 0.8 points, reflecting a marginal rise in available seats relative to passenger uptake.
- North American airlines saw international demand grow 4.5%, with capacity increasing 4.7%. Load factor edged down to 84.2%, a minor 0.1-point decline compared to October 2024, indicating steady but slightly slower growth.
Overall, IATA’s data shows that while Africa continues to expand steadily, it still lags behind other regions in international passenger demand and capacity utilisation.
