By Seun Ibiyemi
African airlines recorded the strongest growth in international passenger demand in January 2026, posting an 11.7 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), according to the latest global passenger demand report released on Monday by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The figures show that African carriers outpaced all other regions in international traffic growth, underscoring the continent’s accelerating recovery and strengthening cross-border travel momentum.
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According to the report, capacity among African airlines, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), rose by 10.1 per cent year-on-year, while the load factor which measures the proportion of seats filled by paying passengers climbed to 77.4 per cent, up 1.1 percentage points compared to January 2025.
“African airlines saw an 11.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 10.1% year-on-year. The load factor was 77.4% (+1.1 ppt compared to January 2025),” the report stated.
Globally, international air travel demand expanded by 5.9 per cent year-on-year, with the overall load factor reaching a record 82.5 per cent for the month of January.
Domestic air travel recorded modest performance, with demand edging up 0.1 per cent, capacity declining by 0.4 per cent, and load factor improving to 81.2 per cent, up 0.4 percentage points from January 2025.
Beyond Africa, other regions also reported growth, though none matched the continent’s pace. Latin American airlines posted an 11.4 per cent increase in demand, with capacity rising 8.9 per cent and load factor reaching 86.5 per cent, up 2.0 percentage points year-on-year.
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Middle Eastern carriers recorded 7.2 per cent growth in demand, though their load factor dipped slightly to 83.2 per cent. European airlines saw demand increase by 6.3 per cent with a load factor of 79.4 per cent, while Asia-Pacific airlines registered 4.4 per cent growth in demand, accompanied by a load factor of 85.9 per cent.
North American carriers recorded the slowest expansion, with demand rising 3.4 per cent, capacity increasing 2.6 per cent and load factor improving to 82.3 per cent.
Commenting on the outlook, IATA Director General, Willie Walsh, said global seat capacity is projected to expand by 5.2 per cent by March 2026 the fastest growth rate since April 2024.
However, he cautioned that geopolitical tensions could introduce uncertainties for passenger traffic and fuel costs in the months ahead.
