African airlines will experience an estimated 15% growth in passenger traffic in 2024 from 2023 figures, AFRAA reports in its African airlines' performance update for July 2024.
"Africa’s aviation industry continues to perform strongly, with increased passenger traffic and improved operational efficiency," says AFRAA.
"Key drivers include expanded routes, better connectivity, and rising domestic and international travel demand."
Due to the introduction of new routes, network expansions and fleet upgrades, available seat kilometres in July exceeded 2023 levels by 9%. Additionally, capacity, in the form of available seats, grew by 7%, from 16 million seats in July 2023 to 17 million seats this year.
However, revenue passenger kilometres only saw a 1,3% increase year-on-year.
Major hubs, including Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, Lusaka and Lomé, experienced significant increases in connectivity.
