Africa’s air travel sector continues to show steady growth, driven by rising demand for both business and leisure travel across the continent.International passenger demand climbed 5.3% in September 2025, with the load factor increasing slightly to 74.7%, according to the latest figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).This reflects a broader recovery in global aviation, with intra-African routes and popular long-haul destinations seeing particularly strong activity
Against this backdrop, one-way departing seats data from OAG.com provides a clear snapshot of the continent’s busiest airports for October 2025. These figures highlight the airports handling the highest volumes of outbound passengers, offering insight into regional and international connectivity, airline hubs, and shifting patterns of air traffic across Africa.
The ranking emphasizes the role of key gateways that not only serve domestic markets but also link Africa with Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. From North African hubs catering to European leisure travellers to major sub-Saharan airports connecting regional business and tourism centers, these airports reflect the diverse dynamics driving air travel on the continent.
The following list presents the top 10 busiest airports in Africa by departing seats for October 2025, highlighting both passenger volumes and the infrastructure that supports their operations.
1. Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport in Egypt ranked as the busiest airport in Africa by departing seats in October 2025, recording 1,636,977 seats, up from 1,481,281 in October 2024, a 10.5% year-on-year increase. The airport is Egypt’s primary international gateway and a major hub connecting North Africa with Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.The airport has three passenger terminals. Terminals 1 and 3 serve international flights with check-in counters, immigration and customs services, lounges, retail, and dining. Terminal 2 handles domestic and regional flights. Recent upgrades have expanded Terminal 1’s transit hall capacity from 1,200 to 4,500 passengers per hour, added a new VIP arrival and departure hall, and included a multi-story underground garage and improved road access to reduce traffic congestion.Cairo International Airport recorded 28.775 million passengers and 211,664 flights in 2024, compared to 26.463 million passengers and 198,943 flights in 2023, according to Emirates News Agency.
2. O.R. Tambo International Airport
The O.R. Tambo International Airport in South Africa ranked as the second busiest airport in Africa by departing seats in October 2025, recording 1,160,252 seats, up from 1,018,142 in October 2024, a 14% year-on-year increase. The airport is the main hub for South African Airways and the largest airport in the country. It is situated in the Kempton Park district of Johannesburg, 23 kilometers north-west of the city centre and 46 kilometers south of Pretoria.Formerly Jan Smuts Airport, it was renamed in honour of the late ANC President Oliver Reginald Tambo. The airport connects South Africa to all six inhabited continents and serves as a gateway to many sub-Saharan countries.The airport has separate international and domestic terminals. The international terminal handles overseas flights with check-in counters, immigration and customs services, lounges, retail, and dining. The domestic terminal serves local carriers connecting Johannesburg with cities across South Africa.O.R. Tambo recorded more than 17.8 million passengers and over 204,000 aircraft movements in the fiscal year April–March 2024, according to OAG’s Global Airline Schedules. The airport has multiple runways and taxiways to manage high traffic volumes and allow simultaneous arrivals and departures
3. Addis Ababa Bole International Airport
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia ranked as the third busiest airport in Africa by departing seats in October 2025, recording 1,148,241 seats, up from 1,058,205 in October 2024, an 8.5% year-on-year increase.The airport is the main hub for Ethiopian Airlines and the country’s primary international gateway, connecting Africa to Europe, Asia, and the Americas. It handles a mix of regional and long-haul international flights and serves as a key transit point for passengers traveling within Africa and beyond.Terminal II, opened on January 21, 2003, and expanded on January 28, 2019, handles international flights. Terminal I, recently refurbished, serves domestic routes. In 2024, the airport recorded 12.1 million passengers. Terminal II features arrival and departure halls, a VIP area, immigration and customs offices, self-check-in kiosks, duty-free shops, banks, restaurants, and other passenger services.The airport has two runways, one 3.7 kilometres long and the other 3.8 kilometres long, which allow simultaneous takeoffs and landings. This capacity helps manage the high volume of both international and domestic flights efficiently.
4. Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport
Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) ranked fourth among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in October 2025, recording 642,440 departing seats, up from 572,067 in October 2024, representing a 12.3% year-on-year increase.Located in Nouasseur, a suburb 30 kilometres southeast of Casablanca, the airport serves as the main hub for Royal Air Maroc, Air Arabia Maroc, and Royal Air Maroc Express, connecting Morocco to more than 96 destinations worldwide through around 50 regular airlines.The airport operates three passenger terminals. Terminal 1, the newest and largest, has a capacity of 14 million passengers and offers modern facilities. Terminal 2 handles international flights with a functional layout, while Terminal 3 is mainly dedicated to cargo operations, supporting the airport’s significant freight capacity of up to 150,000 tons per year.In 2024, Casablanca Airport managed 33% of all flights arriving at and departing from Morocco, handling over 3.9 million passengers from January to May alone, with a peak capacity of 10 million passengers annually. The airport features more than 16 boarding gates, enabling it to handle a high volume of simultaneous departures and arrivals efficiently.
5. Cape Town International Airport
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) ranked fifth among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in October 2025, recording 594,489 departing seats, up from 513,075 in October 2024, representing a 15.9% increase year-on-year.As South Africa’s second-busiest airport, CPT serves as the gateway to the Western Cape, connecting visitors to the region’s scenic landscapes and cultural attractions. The airport operates two main terminals: Terminal 1, which handles international flights and major global carriers, and Terminal 2, dedicated to domestic routes linking Cape Town to cities such as Johannesburg and Durban.In 2024, Cape Town International Airport achieved a milestone with 3 million two-way international passengers, marking a record year for the airport. December 2024 alone saw 1 million two-way passengers, reflecting a 3% increase compared to the same period in 2023.According to Airports Company South Africa, the airport handled a total of 10.4 million two-way passengers in 2024, a 7% rise year-on-year.
6. Marrakech Menara International Airport
Marrakech Menara International Airport (RAK) ranked sixth among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in October 2025, recording 556,849 departing seats, compared to 506,425 in October 2024, representing a 15.9% year-on-year increase.Located five kilometres from the city centre, the airport serves as the main international gateway to Marrakech, the capital of the Marrakech–Safi region in Morocco. It is a key hub for Royal Air Maroc and a focus city for Ryanair, handling a large share of Morocco’s tourist arrivals.According to the last update published on the airport’s official website, Marrakech Menara Airport handled 4.9 million passengers in 2022, highlighting its strong role in Morocco’s tourism-driven economy.The airport connects Marrakech with major cities across Europe, North America, and the Middle East through airlines such as Air France, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Delta Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, SWISS, Iberia, EasyJet, Transavia, and Wizz Air. Most operations take place in Terminal 1, which handles both domestic and international flights
7. Houari Boumediene International Airport
Houari Boumediene International Airport (ALG) ranked seventh among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in October 2025, recording 538,071 departing seats, up from 461,669 in October 2024, representing a 16.5% year-on-year increase.Located 16 kilometres southeast of Algiers in the municipality of Dar El Beïda, the airport serves as Algeria’s main international gateway and the largest airport in the country, connecting more than 80 destinations through 26 airlines.In 2024, the airport handled nearly 10 million passengers, reflecting its role as a critical aviation hub in North Africa. It serves as the main base for Air Algérie, which operates more than half of all flights from the airport, and Tassili Airlines, which focuses on domestic and charter operations.The airport also accommodates several major international carriers, including Air France, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Saudia, linking Algiers to key cities across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.Houari Boumediene Airport features three active terminals: Terminal 1 for domestic flights, Terminal 2 for charter and pilgrimage operations, and Terminal 4, the newest facility opened in 2019, which handles international flights and can accommodate Airbus A380 aircraft. The Algerian government aims to expand the airport’s capacity to 20 million passengers annually by 2027 as part of ongoing infrastructure development.
8. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) ranked 8th among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in October 2025, recording 491,835 seats, slightly down from 492,491 seats in October 2024, a 0.1% decline.Located in Embakasi, about 15 kilometres southeast of Nairobi’s city centre, JKIA is Kenya’s primary international gateway and a major hub for Kenya Airways, connecting East Africa to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America.The airport has several terminals catering to different flight types. Terminal 1A, 1B, and 1C handle international departures, hosting airlines such as Kenya Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Qatar Airways, Air France, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir, and RwandAir.Terminal 1D serves domestic arrivals and departures for carriers like Kenya Airways and Jambojet, while Terminal 1E manages international arrivals. Terminal 2 is used by low-cost and regional airlines, including Jambojet, Fly540, and Fastjet.JKIA’s strategic location and extensive airline network make it a key hub for both regional and international traffic, supporting Kenya’s tourism and business sectors despite the slight dip in departing seats this October.
9. Hurghada International Airport
Hurghada International Airport ranked 9th among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in October 2025, recording 469,097 seats, up slightly from 460,345 seats in October 2024, a 1.9% year-on-year increase.The airport serves the city of Hurghada and is located five kilometres southwest of El Dahar, the city centre. It is Egypt’s second busiest airport, behind Cairo International Airport, and a key gateway for leisure travelers, particularly from the European Union.Hurghada airport has two terminals, including a modern terminal opened in 2014, which spans 92,000 square metres and features 72 check-in counters, 20 departure gates, and a duty-free arcade. The facility has grown steadily since its conversion from a former military airport in the 1980s, supporting the city’s transformation from a small fishing town into a major international resort destination.The airport plays a crucial role in bringing tourists to Hurghada’s beaches, watersports, and diving sites, making it a vital hub for both domestic and international leisure travel, particularly during the peak winter season.
10. Murtala Muhammed International Airport
The Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos ranked 10th among the busiest airports in Africa by departing seats in October 2025, recording 409,005 seats, up from 369,191 in October 2024, a 10.8% year-on-year increase. MMIA is Nigeria’s busiest airport and the main international gateway for the country, connecting Lagos with destinations across Africa, Europe, and North America.According to data obtained by Nairametrics from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) State Profile framework, international passenger traffic at MMIA rose by 6.5% to 4.3 million in 2024, compared to 4.04 million in 2023. International cargo traffic also increased by 11.31% to 150 million kilograms, up from 135 million kilograms the previous year. Aircraft movements for international flights grew by 7.69% in 2024, reaching 40,250 flights compared to 37,375 in 2023.MMIA is the main base for Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, as well as several other Nigerian carriers. The airport consists of an international terminal and a domestic terminal, located about one kilometre apart, both sharing the same runways.The Nigerian government approved N712 billion for the airport’s upgrade, with work commencing in September 2025. The project includes rehabilitation of Terminal 1, expansion of Terminal 2, improved road access, connection buildings linking terminals, and a temporary departure hall to minimize disruption during construction.
