Air travel across Africa is experiencing strong growth, driven by rising demand for both regional and long-haul international travel.
Airlines across the continent are expanding capacity, strengthening hubs, and increasing frequencies on high-demand routes as passenger traffic continues to recover and grow.
Against this backdrop, competition among carriers has intensified, with capacity increasingly concentrated among African flag carriers, fast-growing low-cost airlines, and select international operators with strong exposure to the African market.
These airlines play a key role in linking African economies and supporting trade, tourism, and business mobility across regions.
This article presents the ranking of the top ten airlines in Africa by departing seats, one way, in April 2026, based on data from OAG, a global aviation intelligence platform.
The ranking is based on departing seats, which measure the total number of seats available on outbound flights within the period, providing a clear indicator of airline capacity and operational scale.
The data highlights the airlines with the largest capacity footprints on the continent, reflecting strong domestic dominance in key markets and expanding international connectivity.
Notably, no Nigerian airline featured in the top ten list, reflecting their absence from Africa’s leading capacity-driven airline rankings.
easyJet ranks tenth in Africa for one-way departing seat capacity in April 2026, offering 349,943 seats, representing a 22.7% increase from 285,255 seats in April 2025.
easyJet is one of Europe’s largest airlines, operating an extensive network that connects major European airports with high-frequency routes. The carrier flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline and carried over 100 million passengers in 2024.
The airline operates a fleet of over 340 aircraft and continues to expand its presence in North Africa, particularly Morocco, where it is building stronger connectivity between key European cities and regional airports.
