African airlines recorded a 4.8% increase in international passenger demand in February 2026, signaling steady growth for the continent’s carriers.
The disclosure was contained in data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on global passenger traffic for the month.
While passenger numbers grew, some efficiency metrics for African airlines dipped slightly, reflecting challenges in filling the additional seats offered.
What the report is saying
IATA data showed that African airlines increased their capacity (total number of seats offered on flights) by 6.6% compared to February 2025.
- Despite the rise in demand, the load factor, which measures the percentage of seats actually filled by passengers, fell by 1.3 percentage points to 74.5%. This indicates that while more people were flying, airlines added even more seats than passengers booked.
- “African airlines saw a 4.8% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 6.6% year-on-year. The load factor was 74.5% (-1.3 ppt compared to February 2025).”
- Globally, passenger demand rose 6.1% in February 2026, with capacity up 5.6%, resulting in a record global load factor of 81.4%.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh said, “February was a strong month, showing that the fundamentals for demand growth were in place for a positive year,” but cautioned that rising fuel costs and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East could affect airlines’ prospects going forward.
Regional airline performance
Other regions saw mixed results. Asia-Pacific airlines led global growth, with an 8.6% increase in demand, boosted by Lunar New Year travel, and a load factor of 86.6%.
- European carriers recorded a 5.0% rise in passenger numbers, with load factors at 75.6%, while North American airlines also saw 5.0% growth, achieving an 80.9% load factor.
- Middle Eastern carriers experienced only a 0.9% increase, with load factors declining 2.2 percentage points due to adjustments in routes affected by regional tensions. Latin American airlines posted the strongest growth globally, with a 13.5% rise in passenger demand and a load factor of 85.0%.
Air cargo performance for February 2026
African airlines led in the air cargo market, recording a 21% year-on-year increase in February 2026, the highest among all regions. Capacity for air cargo increased by 17.3%.
- Globally, air cargo demand grew 11.2%, with international operations up 11.6%, and capacity rising more slowly, indicating tightness in available freight space.
- Other regions’ air cargo growth was lower: Middle Eastern carriers saw demand rise 16.5%, Asia- Pacific 13.6%, North America 9.4%, Europe 6.9%, and Latin America/Caribbean just 0.7%.
Walsh noted that pre-Lunar New Year shipments contributed to growth, but fuel costs, fuel scarcity, and disruptions to key hubs could influence the outlook.
What you should know
African airlines also led international travel demand in January 2026, with revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) up 11.7% year-on-year and capacity up 10.1%. The load factor reached 77.4%, up 1.1 percentage points from January 2025.
Globally, international demand rose 5.9%, with a record load factor of 82.5% for the month.
Other regions in January 2026 posted slower growth: Latin America 11.4%, Middle East 7.2%, Europe 6.3%, Asia-Pacific 4.4%, and North America 3.4%.
