African airlines recorded a robust 9.5% year-on-year increase in international passenger demand for May 2025, significantly outpacing the global average growth rate of 6.7%, according to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The continent’s airlines also posted a load factor of 74.9%, marking a 2.2 percentage point improvement compared to May 2024, and indicating stronger utilization of available seat capacity.
This strong performance reinforces Africa’s continued recovery and expansion in the international aviation sector, with Africa-Asia emerging as the fastest-growing international route corridor globally. Passenger traffic between the two regions surged by 15.9% in May, reflecting deepening economic ties, increased travel demand, and growing airline connectivity between African nations and Asia.
Globally, total passenger demand in May 2025, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), rose by 5.0% compared to the same period last year. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), also grew by 5.0%, resulting in a global load factor of 83.4%—a slight dip of 0.1 percentage points from May 2024.
International traffic growth varied across regions, with Asia-Pacific leading at 13.3%, followed by Latin America (8.8%), Africa (9.5%), and the Middle East (6.2%). European and North American carriers experienced slower demand growth at 4.1% and 1.4% respectively. North America was the weakest-performing region, dragged down by a 1.7% decline in U.S. domestic travel, which contributed to a 0.5% drop in overall North American traffic.
On the domestic front, global demand increased by 2.1% year-on-year, though the global domestic load factor slipped to 83.7% as capacity expanded by 2.8%. China continued its upward trend in domestic travel, showing sustained growth since March, while Brazil maintained strong momentum, extending its unbroken growth streak since January 2023.
Despite geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East toward the end of June, IATA reported that airlines have largely managed to maintain operational stability and minimize passenger inconvenience. The association also noted that oil prices remained relatively stable throughout May, helping to keep operating costs under control.
Commenting on the overall performance, IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh said: “Air travel demand growth was uneven in May. Globally, the industry reported 5% growth with Asia-Pacific taking the lead at 9.4%. The outlier was North America. Importantly, consumer confidence appears strong, with forward bookings for the peak Northern summer travel season giving good reason for optimism.”
Africa’s performance stands out as a bright spot in the global aviation recovery, with increasing load factors and rapid expansion on key international corridors such as Africa-Asia, suggesting that airlines in the region are successfully tapping into new markets and responding to growing demand.
