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Africa’s aviation market continued its strong growth trajectory in 2026, with airline capacity rising across both international and domestic routes as carriers expanded services to meet rising passenger demand.
According to OAG data for August 2026, total airline capacity across the continent increased by 8.4% year on year to 27.3 million seats, with international services accounting for 79% of total capacity, while domestic capacity grew even faster at 11%.
Against this backdrop, AeroTrail Africa’s First Half (H1) 2026 domestic airline capacity rankings identified the continent’s busiest domestic airport pairs, highlighting the routes that attracted the highest scheduled airline capacity during the period.
South Africa dominated the rankings with seven of the 15 busiest domestic airport pairs, followed by Egypt with four, Nigeria with three and Kenya with one.
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15. Johannesburg (JNB) to East London (ELS), South Africa
OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and East London Airport ranked as Africa’s 15th busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 272,927 one way seats.
The route connects South Africa’s commercial hub with East London, a coastal city in the Eastern Cape known for its automotive manufacturing, port activities and tourism.
With 272,927 scheduled one way seats during the first half of 2026, it completed the list of Africa’s 15 busiest domestic airport pairs by airline capacity.
14. Abuja (ABV) to Port Harcourt (PHC), Nigeria
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and Port Harcourt International Airport ranked as Africa’s 14th busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 309,155 one way seats.
The route connects Nigeria’s capital with the oil rich city of Port Harcourt, serving government officials, business travellers, oil and gas professionals and other passengers travelling between the two cities.
Its inclusion in the continental ranking means Nigeria accounted for three of Africa’s 15 busiest domestic airport pairs during the first half of 2026, more than any other West African country.
13. Lagos (LOS) to Port Harcourt (PHC), Nigeria
Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Port Harcourt International Airport ranked as Africa’s 13th busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 343,859 one way seats.
The route connects Nigeria’s commercial capital with the oil rich city of Port Harcourt, serving business travellers, industry professionals and passengers travelling to and from the Niger Delta region.
Its place among Africa’s top 15 busiest domestic airport pairs underscores the importance of the Lagos to Port Harcourt corridor to Nigeria’s economy and domestic aviation network.
12. Johannesburg (JNB) – George (GRJ), South Africa
The domestic wings of OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and George Airport ranked as Africa’s 12th busiest airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 351,329 one way seats.
The route connects South Africa’s economic hub with George, a key gateway to the Garden Route and surrounding towns in the Western Cape, attracting both business and leisure travellers.
George’s growing appeal as a tourism and lifestyle destination continues to support steady passenger traffic on one of South Africa’s busiest domestic air routes.
11. Cairo (CAI) – Sharm El Sheikh (SSH), Egypt
Cairo International Airport and Sharm El Sheikh International Airport ranked as Africa’s 11th busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 368,213 one way seats.
The route connects Egypt’s capital with Sharm El Sheikh, one of the country’s most popular Red Sea resort cities, known for its beaches, diving sites and international tourism.
Sharm El Sheikh’s status as a leading leisure destination continues to support strong passenger traffic on one of Egypt’s busiest domestic air routes.
10. Cairo (CAI) – Hurghada (HRG), Egypt: 409,901 seats
Cairo International Airport and Hurghada International Airport ranked as Africa’s 10th busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 409,901 one-way seats.
The route links Egypt’s capital with Hurghada, one of the country’s leading Red Sea resort destinations, attracting a steady flow of domestic and international leisure travellers throughout the year.
Hurghada’s popularity as a year-round holiday destination continues to make the route one of Egypt’s busiest domestic air corridors.
9. Nairobi (NBO) – Mombasa (MBA), Kenya: 453,555 seats
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa ranked as Africa’s ninth busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 453,555 one way seats.
The route connects Kenya’s capital with its principal coastal city, serving business travellers, holidaymakers and passengers visiting the country’s Indian Ocean resorts and beaches.
With 453,555 scheduled one way seats during the first six months of 2026, it was the only East African route to feature among Africa’s top 15 busiest domestic airport pairs.
8. Cairo (CAI) – Aswan (ASW), Egypt
Cairo International Airport and Aswan International Airport ranked as Africa’s eighth busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 480,880 one way seats.
The route connects Egypt’s capital with Aswan, a historic city along the Nile renowned for its ancient monuments, river cruises and the nearby Abu Simbel temples, making it a popular destination for both domestic and international visitors.
With 480,880 scheduled one way seats during the first six months of 2026, the route demonstrates the continued importance of tourism in shaping Egypt’s domestic air travel network.
7. Cape Town (CPT) – Johannesburg (HLA), South Africa
Cape Town International Airport and Lanseria International Airport ranked as Africa’s seventh busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 512,859 one way seats.
The route offers an alternative connection between Cape Town and Johannesburg, with Lanseria serving passengers travelling to the city’s northern suburbs, business districts and nearby areas.
Its ranking among Africa’s 10 busiest domestic airport pairs reflects the sustained demand for air travel between two of South Africa’s most important economic centres, even outside the country’s primary airport network.
6. Cairo (CAI) – Luxor (LXR), Egypt
Cairo International Airport and Luxor International Airport ranked as Africa’s sixth busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 524,327 one way seats.
The route connects Egypt’s capital with one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, serving strong demand from both domestic and international travellers visiting Luxor’s historic temples and archaeological sites.
With more than 524,000 scheduled one way seats during the first half of 2026, the route highlights the important role tourism plays in sustaining Egypt’s domestic aviation market.
5. Johannesburg (JNB) – Port Elizabeth (PLZ), South Africa
OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) formed Africa’s fifth busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 581,758 one way seats.
The air corridor links South Africa’s economic hub with one of the country’s key industrial and automotive manufacturing centres. It also supports tourism to the Eastern Cape, a region known for its beaches, wildlife reserves and proximity to the Garden Route.
With nearly 582,000 scheduled one way seats during the first six months of 2026, the route reflects strong demand for both business and leisure travel between the two cities.
4. Cape Town (CPT) – Durban (DUR), South Africa
Cape Town International Airport and King Shaka International Airport in Durban ranked as Africa’s fourth busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 638,644 one way seats.
The route links two of South Africa’s leading coastal cities, serving business travellers, tourists and passengers visiting friends and family throughout the year.
The corridor continues to serve steady passenger demand between Cape Town and Durban, two of South Africa’s busiest urban and tourism centres.
3. Lagos (LOS) – Abuja (ABV), Nigeria
Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja ranked as Africa’s third busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 888,070 one way seats.
The route connects Nigeria’s commercial capital with the nation’s seat of government, making it the country’s busiest domestic air corridor. It serves government officials, business executives, corporate travellers and passengers connecting to international flights through Lagos.
It was the highest ranked domestic airport pair in West Africa and the only one from the region to feature in Africa’s top 10 during the first half of 2026.
2. Johannesburg (JNB) – Durban (DUR), South Africa
OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and King Shaka International Airport in Durban ranked as Africa’s second busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 2,038,518 one way seats.
The route connects South Africa’s largest city with Durban, the country’s busiest seaport and one of its leading coastal tourism destinations, serving business travellers, holidaymakers and passengers travelling for commercial and personal reasons.
With more than two million scheduled one way seats during the first six months of 2026, it was one of only two domestic airport pairs in Africa to surpass the two million seat mark.
1. Johannesburg (JNB) – Cape Town (CPT), South Africa
OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and Cape Town International Airport ranked as Africa’s busiest domestic airport pair in the first half of 2026, with airlines scheduling 2,288,410 one way seats.
The route connects South Africa’s economic centre with its legislative capital and one of the continent’s leading tourism destinations, serving business, government and leisure travellers throughout the year.
Its scheduled capacity was more than double that of the Lagos to Abuja route, which ranked third on the continent during the first half of 2026.
