The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported a 3.3% year-on-year increase in global passenger demand for March 2025, with African carriers contributing to the growth through a steady 3.3% rise in demand. While overall global capacity expanded by 5.3%, leading to a slight drop in the average load factor to 80.7%, African airlines kept pace with a modest 3.5% increase in capacity and maintained a relatively stable load factor of 70.1%, down just 0.2 percentage points from March 2024.
The data reflects the continued recovery and resilience of Africa’s aviation sector, even as other regions experienced mixed outcomes. International travel demand globally rose by 4.9% year-on-year, though this was a slowdown from previous months, attributed largely to post-COVID normalization. Within this, Asia-Pacific airlines led with a 9.9% surge, while Europe saw a 4.9% increase. However, the Middle East and North America experienced contractions of 1.0% and 0.1% respectively, with North America marking its second straight month of decline despite a slight improvement over February.
Domestic travel worldwide posted a marginal 0.9% gain, with notable growth in Brazil and India—8.9% and 11.0% respectively—contrasting with declines in the United States (-1.7%) and Australia (-1.2%). Load factors dropped across most regions, with domestic markets seeing an overall 1.3 percentage point decline due to capacity increases.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, acknowledged the slight acceleration in passenger growth compared to February but cautioned that supply chain constraints and infrastructure capacity must be addressed urgently. He also highlighted that despite economic uncertainties and potential geopolitical pressures, the global appetite for air travel remains on the rise.
Africa’s continued upward trajectory, while moderate, is seen as vital for supporting trade, tourism, and regional integration, particularly as governments and private sector stakeholders invest in expanding air connectivity across the continent.
