Africa’s air travel demand stood at 6.4 percent in July —IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data for July 2026 global passenger demand, indicating that African airlines saw a 6.4 percent year-on-year increase in demand for air travel.

According to IATA, capacity within Africa was up 9.0 percent year-on-year, while the load factor was 74.1 percent. Also, domestic Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) grew 0.6 percent in July 2026, compared to the same month last year.

The body, however, stated that at the global level, total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, was up 0.2 percent compared to July 2025.

Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.2 percent and total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers, increased 0.3 percent year-on-year.

While the load factor was 85.2 percent, international demand fell 0.1 percent, compared to July 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.5 percent and capacity was up 0.3 percent year-on-year, and the load factor was 85.2 percent.

Domestic demand grew 0.6 percent compared to July 2025. Capacity increased 0.2 percent year-on-year. The load factor was 85.3 percent.

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Commenting on the development, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist, Marie Owens Thomsen, said: “The peak Northern summer travel season is a mostly positive story for air travel. Overall growth of 0.2 percent in July was achieved, despite year-on-year collective declines by carriers in North America and the Middle East.”

“Notably, traffic through the Gulf hubs continues its recovery trajectory.

Although high fuel costs, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions continue, carriers are expressing confidence in demand for the last part of the year with an almost 3 percent expansion of seat capacity in September,” Thomsen added.