MMIA posts fastest growth in Africa in September with 470,000 seats

Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) recorded the fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa’s 10 largest airports in September, with 470,000 scheduled seats.

This is according to the OAG African Aviation Market Data for September 2026.

The airport’s scheduled seat capacity was 24.1% higher than the same period last year, representing 90,600 additional scheduled seats.

What the report is saying

OAG said MMIA recorded the fastest growth among Africa’s top 10 largest airports, ahead of Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport, which grew by 13.5%, adding 87,500 seats.

• “Fastest growth within the Top 10 largest airports in Africa came from Lagos, with an increase of 24.1% (90,600 seats),” OAG said.

Cairo International Airport remained the largest, with 1.79 million scheduled seats, up 11.2% year-on-year.

• Addis Ababa Bole International Airport followed with 1.19 million seats, up 6.5%, while O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg had 1.16 million, up 5%.
• Cape Town International Airport had 590,000 seats, up 11.3%, followed by Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers with 580,000, up 3.8%.
• Marrakech Menara Airport had 530,000 seats, up 10.5%, while Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi had 520,000, up 11.9%.
• Tunis-Carthage International Airport had 460,000 seats, up 8.2%.

MMIA ranked ninth among the top 10 largest African airports by scheduled seat capacity.

Nigeria leads African aviation growth

Nigeria also recorded the fastest capacity growth among Africa’s top 10 aviation markets in September.

The country added 322,800 scheduled airline seats, taking total capacity to 1.19 million, up 37.4% from 864,100 seats in September 2025.

• Egypt recorded the largest absolute increase, adding 364,800 seats to reach 3.08 million, but its growth rate was lower at 13.4%.
• OAG attributed Nigeria’s growth to currency reforms, a new aircraft leasing agreement and growing confidence among airlines looking to serve the country.
• South Africa added 151,200 seats to reach 2.43 million, Morocco added 188,000 to reach 2.07 million, while Ethiopia added 83,500 to reach 1.41 million.
• Tanzania grew by 77,100 seats to 733,000, Algeria by 74,600 to 1.05 million, Ghana by 34,600 to 302,100, Tunisia by 24,500 to 789,800 and Kenya by 6,900 to 833,100.

Across Africa, scheduled airline capacity reached 25.8 million seats in September, up 9.4% year-on-year. International capacity accounted for 78% of the total, while domestic capacity increased 11.6%.

Get up to speed

MMIA’s scheduled capacity has remained among the fastest-growing of Africa’s busiest airports over the past few months, rising from 417,622 seats in June to 480,000 in August, before easing slightly to 470,000 in September.

• The airport added about 62,400 seats between June and August, while its August capacity was 25.6% higher than a year earlier, the fastest growth among Africa’s 10 busiest airports at the time.
• In June, MMIA ranked among Africa’s 10 busiest airports with 417,622 scheduled departing seats, compared with 8.35 million seats combined for the continent’s top 10 airports in August.
• By August, MMIA had 480,000 scheduled seats.

Nigeria’s wider aviation market also recorded strong growth during the period. In July, the country’s scheduled capacity rose 44.5% year-on-year to 1.22 million seats, while domestic capacity increased 54.8% to 921,100 seats.

What you should know

Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, recorded the fastest capacity growth among Africa’s top 10 airlines in September, with scheduled seat capacity rising 54.7% year-on-year to 354,804 seats.

The airline added 125,400 seats compared with September 2025 and returned to Africa’s top 10 airlines by scheduled capacity.

The Federal Government approved the establishment of the Nigeria Aircraft Leasing Company in May to improve domestic airlines’ access to aircraft.

The company will operate as a privately funded and managed Special Purpose Vehicle with strategic government backing.

Air Peace’s September expansion reflects the broader increase in scheduled capacity across Nigeria’s aviation market.