African airlines recorded a 7.1% year-on-year increase in international passenger traffic in August 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The growth, which outpaced capacity expansion of 5.3%, pushed the region’s load factor up by 1.3 percentage points to 79.7% — the highest gain among all regions.
Globally, demand rose 4.6% in August compared to the same month in 2024, marking the sixth consecutive month of year-on-year growth. Capacity grew 4.5%, resulting in a record-high global load factor of 86.0%. International traffic remained the main growth driver, rising 6.6% year-on-year, while domestic traffic inched up only 1.5%.
Global Travel Trends
IATA reported that total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), increased 4.6% compared to August 2024, while total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), expanded 4.5%.
- International demand grew 6.6% with capacity up 6.5%, pushing the international load factor to 85.8%.
- Domestic markets, however, accounted for only 13% of global RPK growth in August, down from 25% a year earlier, reflecting the dominance of international travel.
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, said the figures confirmed that the 2025 northern summer travel season set a new record.
“Planes were fuller than ever despite economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions,” Walsh noted. “Airlines are doing their best to meet travel demand by maximizing efficiency, which makes it even more critical for the aerospace manufacturing sector to sort out supply chain challenges.”
Regional Performance
- Asia-Pacific airlines led the world with a 9.8% surge in international demand, supported by strong traffic from China (+11.8%) and Japan (+12%). Capacity expanded 9.5%, with the load factor improving to 85.1%.
- European carriers posted a 5.3% rise in demand, with capacity growing at the same pace. Load factor held steady at 86.7%.
- North American airlines saw modest growth of 1.8% in demand, while capacity rose 2.6%. The region’s load factor fell to 87.5%, marking a fourth straight month of decline.
- Middle Eastern airlines recorded 8.2% growth in demand, with capacity up 6.9% and load factor improving to 83.9%.
- Latin American carriers registered a 9.0% increase in demand, though capacity rose slightly faster at 9.3%, pushing load factor down marginally to 84.7%.
- African airlines achieved a 7.1% growth rate, with capacity up 5.3% and load factor improving to 79.7%, reflecting the region’s growing integration into international travel markets.
Domestic Market Trends
Domestic markets showed weaker growth compared to international travel. The United States underperformed, posting its eighth consecutive month of declining load factors, while Brazil recorded stronger domestic demand, supported by government tourism incentives.
