African airlines experienced a 3.3% year-on-year increase in passenger demand in March 2025.
However, the region’s load factor stood at 70.1%, the lowest among all global regions.
The data was obtained from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) global passenger traffic report for March 2025.
The demand increase is a sign of continued recovery in Africa’s aviation sector, yet the low load factor indicates that airlines are still grappling with challenges in filling available seat capacity. Capacity in the region rose by 3.5% year-on-year, slightly surpassing the growth in demand.
“African airlines saw a 3.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 3.5% year-on-year. The load factor was 70.1% (-0.2 ppt compared to March 2024),” the IATA report read in part.
Globally, total passenger demand rose by 3.3% year-on-year in March, while capacity expanded by 5.3%. This led to a systemwide load factor of 80.7%, down 1.6 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
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The report also highlighted that international demand increased by 4.9%, driven primarily by the Asia-Pacific region, where airlines saw a 9.9% demand rise and achieved a strong load factor of 84.1%.
- Latin American carriers followed with a 7.7% growth in demand, paired with a load factor of 80.9%. European carriers recorded a 4.9% uptick in demand, with a load factor of 78.2%.
- North American airlines posted a 0.1% decline in demand—a notable improvement from the 1.5% contraction in February—along with a robust load factor of 83.0%.
Middle Eastern airlines experienced a 1.0% drop in demand, with a load factor of 74.6%, which IATA attributes, in part, to the timing of Ramadan.
Commenting on the overall trends, IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh said:
“Passenger demand grew by 3.3% year-on-year in March, a slight strengthening from the 2.7% growth reported for February. A capacity expansion of 5.3%, however, outpaced the demand expansion, leading to a load factor decline from record highs to 80.7% systemwide.”
- He added that while the decline in North America warrants attention, the global outlook remains largely positive. The challenges of accommodating growing numbers of travelers—particularly alleviating supply chain issues and ensuring adequate airport and air traffic management capacity—continue to be pressing, Walsh noted.
As for Africa, the results reflect a steady recovery in the region’s aviation sector. However, the region must focus on improving seat occupancy and expanding demand, particularly across underserved routes, to achieve more efficient growth in the coming months.