Top 10 busiest airports in Africa by outbound seats – June 2026
By Aboki Forex —
Africa's aviation market kept expanding in June 2026. Stronger domestic travel demand and sustained capacity growth from leading airlines drove the increase. Performance varied across individual markets, but the overall trend points to a resilient recovery. Airlines added more seats to meet rising passenger demand and improve connectivity within Africa and beyond.
This month's ranking of Africa's busiest airports by outbound seats comes from data by global aviation analytics firm OAG. South Africa remained the continent's largest domestic aviation market, offering 1.5 million seats during the month.
Domestic markets elsewhere delivered mixed results. The Republic of Congo recorded the fastest growth, with domestic capacity up 31.3% to 122,100 seats. Nigeria posted the largest absolute increase, adding 130,200 seats for a 21.7% year-on-year rise. This reflects growing demand for domestic air travel. In contrast, Kenya's domestic capacity fell 18.7%, a drop of 76,400 seats compared to the same period last year.
Africa's airline industry also kept its growth momentum. Ethiopian Airlines retained its position as the continent's largest carrier, operating 2 million seats in June 2026. That is a 10% increase, or 179,300 additional seats year-on-year. Among the top 10 airlines, Air Algérie recorded the fastest growth at 11.2%, followed by Royal Air Maroc with a 10.8% increase. This highlights continued expansion by North African carriers as airlines invest in larger networks and increased capacity.
Here are the top 10 busiest airports in Africa by outbound seats in June 2026.
10. Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS), Nigeria's busiest aviation gateway, secured a place among Africa's 10 busiest airports by seat capacity. It recorded the fastest year-on-year growth on the continent. According to the latest aviation data, Lagos saw a 16.7% increase in airline seat capacity. It rose from 357,799 seats in June 2025 to 417,622 seats in June 2026. That was the highest growth rate among Africa's top 10 busiest airports.