A recent report from the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has unveiled that air transport within the continent continues to struggle with inadequate connectivity between African nations. Despite some growth in both domestic and international flights, the number of passengers traveling between countries in Africa reached only 4.1 million in the latter half of 2025. In comparison, domestic flights accounted for 13.4 million passengers, while international routes saw 9.3 million travelers.
Published at the end of July 2026, the report highlights South Africa's dominance in domestic air transport, capturing four out of the five busiest local routes. The Cape Town to Johannesburg route leads the pack with approximately two million passengers, followed by the Durban to Johannesburg route. Notably, Nigeria's Abuja to Lagos route ranks third in terms of passenger volume.
Interestingly, the report reveals that Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, boasts the densest domestic network, appearing in 13 of the top 100 domestic routes. This positions it ahead of both Johannesburg and Lagos, reflecting Ethiopia's reliance on an extensive array of domestic flights rather than focusing solely on a few major routes.
Regarding international travel between African nations, the report emphasizes the ongoing concentration of air connectivity around a limited number of regional hubs, with Johannesburg, Nairobi, Tunis, and Cairo being the frontrunners. Casablanca's Mohammed V Airport has also emerged as one of the key air transport centers in the continent, having presence in ten of the most significant African routes.
Among the notable air routes within the continent are Tripoli to Tunis, Harare to Johannesburg, Algiers to Tunis, and Entebbe to Nairobi, underscoring the persistent concentration of air traffic in a few regional centers.
On the international front, the report confirms that the North Africa to France corridor dominates air transport. Routes such as Algiers to Paris, Paris to Tunis, and Paris to Marrakech lead the list of the busiest international routes, driven primarily by tourism and diaspora movements.
In this context, Marrakech Airport has been highlighted as one of the most connected African airports for international flights, featuring in 18 of the top 100 international routes. Meanwhile, Paris Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports rank as the most connected airports to the continent.
The report also indicates that Cairo Airport is the only African airport present among the top centers in all three categories: domestic, intra-African, and international. This highlights its role as a multifunctional air hub.
Conversely, the report notes the ongoing weakness of air connectivity in Central Africa, where several countries, including Chad, Niger, and the Central African Republic, are absent from the list of major air routes. This points to the limited integration of air transport in this region.
In conclusion, the significant disparity between the volume of domestic flights and cross-border flights within the continent underscores that the unified African air transport market still possesses substantial growth potential. However, it faces challenges related to expanding air networks, diversifying regional hubs, and enhancing direct connectivity between African countries.
As reported by ar.industries.ma.
