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.
South African Airways ranks eighth in Africa for one-way departing seat capacity in April 2026, offering 393,070 seats, representing a 24% increase from 315,047 seats in April 2025, the highest growth among the top carriers.
Founded in 1934, South African Airways is one of the world’s oldest airlines. The state-owned carrier operates passenger, freight, and mail services across domestic, regional, and international routes, supporting South Africa’s aviation, tourism, and trade connectivity.
The airline operates 17 aircraft and runs over 18,000 flights annually, with more than 2,300 employees across its subsidiaries. It is also a member of the Star Alliance network, which it joined in 2006.
According to its 2025 Integrated Annual Report, the airline posted an operational profit of R336 million (about $20.3 million), revenue of R9.27 billion (about $560.5 million), and passenger revenue of R7.68 billion (about $464.4 million), while cargo performance rose 47% year on year.
