African airlines recorded the strongest passenger traffic growth globally in March 2026, underscoring the continent’s growing aviation momentum despite geopolitical tensions and fuel market volatility that continue to pressure the global industry.
Latest data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed that African carriers achieved a 19.2 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), outperforming every other region worldwide during the period.
Capacity among African airlines rose by 4.2 per cent year-on-year, while passenger load factor climbed sharply to 77.7 per cent, representing a 9.8 percentage point improvement compared to March 2025.
Globally, total passenger demand increased by 2.1 per cent year-on-year in March, despite major disruptions caused by the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which severely affected airspace operations and traffic flows across the Middle East.
According to IATA, global airline capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), declined by 1.7 per cent year-on-year, while the worldwide load factor improved to 83.6 per cent.
International passenger traffic globally recorded its first decline since March 2021, falling by 0.6 per cent year-on-year. The downturn was driven largely by a dramatic 60.8 per cent collapse in international traffic among Middle Eastern carriers following widespread airspace restrictions and operational disruptions in the Gulf region.
Domestic travel demand, however, remained resilient, growing by 6.5 per cent globally, while domestic capacity rose by 5.6 per cent. Global domestic load factor reached 83 per cent.
IATA Director-General, Willie Walsh, said the industry continued to demonstrate resilience despite the mounting operational and economic pressures confronting airlines worldwide.
“Demand for air travel continued to grow in March despite disruptions in the Middle East. The nearly 61 per cent decline in international traffic by carriers in the Middle East did, however, restrain global growth to 2.1 per cent. Outside of the Middle East, demand grew by eight per cent,” Walsh said.
He warned, however, that rising jet fuel costs and supply concerns could become major risks for the aviation industry in the coming months.
“Everybody’s watching what’s happening with jet fuel — both supply and pricing. On the supply side, over the next months we could see shortages in parts of the world with high dependence on supplies from the Gulf, especially Asia and Europe. The extraordinarily high cost of jet fuel is increasingly being reflected in ticket prices,” he added.
Walsh noted that although March traffic and forward bookings had not yet shown signs of weakening demand, the industry remained cautious about the potential impact of sustained high fuel prices on passenger behaviour.
Regional performance data showed that Asia-Pacific airlines recorded an 11.5 per cent increase in passenger demand, supported by the tail end of Lunar New Year travel and strong international traffic growth outside Middle East routes. The region also achieved the world’s highest load factor at 91.2 per cent.
European airlines posted a 7.7 per cent increase in demand, with traffic between Europe and Asia surging by 29.3 per cent as airlines redirected passengers away from Middle Eastern transit hubs.
North American carriers recorded a 3.7 per cent increase in passenger traffic, supported by stronger transatlantic demand and improved travel between Asia and North America.
Latin American airlines also maintained strong growth momentum, recording a 12.1 per cent increase in passenger demand and an 83.8 per cent load factor.
In contrast, Middle Eastern airlines experienced the sharpest decline globally, with traffic plunging by 60.8 per cent and load factor dropping to 67.8 per cent due to ongoing regional conflict and airspace closures.
Beyond passenger traffic, IATA also reported broader pressure on global air cargo markets. Worldwide cargo demand declined by 4.8 per cent in March, largely due to severe disruptions at major Gulf hubs and seasonal post-Lunar New Year slowdowns.
Despite the decline, IATA said underlying demand trends remained relatively strong, supported by continued global industrial production growth and expanding trade activity.
The association also announced the launch of a pilot Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) system in Somalia, aimed at supporting the country’s aviation sector reforms and expanding financial connectivity between airlines and travel agents.
IATA said Africa remains one of the fastest-growing aviation regions globally, with strong long-term potential driven by rising population growth, expanding trade links and increasing regional connectivity demand.
