Africa’s aviation market is showing strong capacity growth, with the continent’s 10 largest airlines accounting for approximately 8.08 million scheduled departing seats in August 2026.
According to data from aviation analytics firm OAG, the combined capacity of these airlines represents about 30% of Africa’s total scheduled airline capacity of 27.3 million seats for the month. Overall, Africa’s scheduled capacity increased by 8.4% compared with August 2025.
Ethiopian Airlines Leads Africa’s Aviation Market
Ethiopian Airlines retained its position as Africa’s largest airline by scheduled seat capacity, recording approximately 2.19 million seats in August.
Its capacity increased by 10.9% year-on-year, compared with 1.97 million seats recorded in August 2025.
Safair ranked second with approximately 984,700 seats, although its capacity declined slightly compared with the same period last year.
The figures highlight the dominance of major regional carriers in connecting passengers across Africa and beyond.
Air Peace Drops Out of Africa’s Top 10
One notable change for Nigeria is the position of Air Peace.
Nigeria’s largest airline dropped out of Africa’s top 10 carriers by scheduled seat capacity in August, after being displaced by Kenya Airways, which moved into the 10th position. Air Peace had ranked 10th in July.
This development comes despite strong growth in Nigeria’s overall aviation capacity.
Nigeria’s Aviation Capacity Is Growing
Nigeria recorded a significant increase in scheduled airline capacity in August.
The country’s scheduled seat capacity rose by 37% year-on-year to approximately 1.22 million seats, representing the fastest growth among Africa’s major aviation markets during the period.
This suggests that while individual airlines may move up or down the rankings, the Nigerian aviation market itself continues to expand.
What Does This Mean for Travellers?
Growing airline capacity can be positive news for travellers.
More available seats and expanding airline networks can potentially provide:
- More travel options across African destinations
- Greater connectivity between major cities
- More choices when planning regional trips
- Increased opportunities for tourism and business travel
- Potentially stronger competition among airlines
For Nigerian travellers, increased capacity is particularly important as international and regional travel continues to grow.
Africa’s Aviation Market Is Expanding
The August figures provide another indication that African aviation is experiencing continued growth.
With total scheduled capacity reaching 27.3 million seats across the continent, airlines are increasing their ability to connect African markets with one another and with international destinations.
For travellers and businesses, stronger aviation connectivity can support tourism, trade, education, investment and cross-border mobility.
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