Kenya: AFRAA forecasts African airlines to transport 98 million passengers

The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has projected that African operators will carry approximately 98 million passengers in 2024, marking a significant rebound in air travel following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to the addition of new routes and frequencies, the number of seats offered in the region saw a notable increase of 12.6%, rising from 14.3 million in March 2019 to 16.1 million in March 2024.

During the same period, Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) surpassed the levels recorded in March 2019 by 7.7%, indicating a growing capacity within the African aviation industry.

African carriers have notably contributed to international air travel, accounting for 49.5% of the international capacity and 35.9% of the intercontinental capacity, showcasing their growing presence and influence in the global aviation market.

“In terms of capacity split between African and non-African operators on both regional and intercontinental routes, AFRAA estimates a 50.7% and 49.3% respectively,” reads the report in part.

A further disaggregation of capacity on only the intercontinental routes reveals a much lower share of 35.7% for Africa as against 64.3% for non-African operators.

Similar to traffic growth, African airlines are also seeing improved revenue performance. AFRAA estimated revenue for January 2024 was US$ 1.83 billion compared to US$1.56 billion in November 2023, indicating a revenue growth of 14.75%