International passenger demand for African airlines grows 12.4% in November 2024 – IATA 

This surge in demand highlights the resilience and steady growth of African carriers as they continue to rebound from the global disruptions of previous years.

Capacity in the region grew by 6.0%, indicating that airlines responded to the increasing demand by either adding more flights or deploying larger aircraft.

The load factor the percentage of seats filled rose to 72.9%, up 4.1 percentage points compared to November 2023, reflecting the growing efficiency of African airlines in utilizing their available capacity.

The data was obtained from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) report for international passenger markets in November 2024, released in January 2025, which also highlighted broader trends in global aviation markets.

“African airlines saw a 12.4% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 6.0% year-on-year. The load factor rose to 72.9% (+4.1 ppt compared to November 2023),” the IATA report read in part. 

The global aviation sector recorded an 8.1% year-on-year increase in demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), in November 2024. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), rose 5.7%, while the load factor reached 83.4%, up 1.9 percentage points from November 2023—an all-time high for November.

International passenger demand grew 11.6% year-on-year, with capacity rising 8.6%.

The load factor for international routes improved to 83.4%, up 2.3 percentage points. This growth was primarily driven by strong performance from carriers in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

The IATA report highlighted the performance of international passenger markets across various regions for November 2024, showcasing strong growth in demand, capacity, and load factors.

IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, noted that while November 2024 saw robust growth in air travel demand, supply chain issues in aircraft manufacturing continue to hinder airlines from fully meeting this demand. He emphasized the need for a swift resolution to these challenges to help airlines better serve passengers and modernize their operations.