Africa’s aviation sector is in the middle of a powerful rebound, with airports across the continent recording sharp increases in passenger numbers and flight activity.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), African airlines saw a 9.5% year-on-year growth in international passenger demand in May 2025, outpacing most global regions.
A key driver of this growth was the sharp increase in traffic on the Africa–Asia corridor, where demand surged 15.9% year-on-year, making it the fastest-growing international route worldwide for the month.
The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) projects traffic to hit 113 million passengers in 2025, a leap from 98 million in 2024, representing a 15.3% increase. This increase highlights the industry’s resilience and positive trajectory.
This list highlights the busiest airports in Africa, measured by the number of scheduled daily departures. It includes only scheduled passenger flights and excludes freighters or chartered flights. The data is sourced from FlightsFrom.com, a travel tool website that publishes airline routes and schedules worldwide.
Here is the ranking of Africa’s top ten busiest airports by flight traffic as of July 2025
10. Dar Es Salaam (DAR): 84 flights every day
Dar Es Salaam International Airport, was renamed Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in 2006 in honor of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the first President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who died in 1999. It is the country’s largest airport, handling about 84 flights daily.
The airport connects travelers to 37 destinations through 24 airlines, making it a key aviation hub in East Africa.
In 2024, Dar Es Salaam was the 12th busiest airport on the continent, averaging about 75 daily flights. The airport’s traffic has grown steadily, reflecting Tanzania’s expanding role in regional and international air travel.
The most frequent route from DAR is to Zanzibar, with about 180 flights weekly, nearly 30% of all departures.
Air Tanzania remains the largest carrier at the airport with approximately 174 scheduled weekly take-offs, followed by Auric Air.
Top most frequented routes
- Zanzibar (ZNZ): 22–23 flights daily
- Arusha (ARK): 6–8 flights daily
- Kilimanjaro (JRO): 6–7 flights daily
- Mwanza (MWZ): 5–6 flights daily
- Mafia Island (MFA): 5 flights daily
The most frequent international routes include Nairobi (NBO) and Johannesburg (JNB).
9. Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ): 92 flights every day
Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ), the main gateway to the Zanzibar archipelago in the United Republic of Tanzania, handles an average of 92 flights every day.
The airport connects passengers to 21 destinations served by 27 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic.
In 2024, Zanzibar ranked as the 13th busiest airport in Africa, operating around 70 daily flights. The busiest route from Zanzibar is to Dar es Salaam (DAR), accounting for an average of 269 flights weekly, which represents 43% of all departures.
Auric Air remains the largest carrier by departures, with about 131 scheduled take-offs every week.
Top most frequented routes
- Dar es Salaam (DAR), Tanzania – 34 to 39 flights per day
- Arusha (ARK), Tanzania – 14 to 15 flights per day
- Pemba (PMA), Tanzania – 8 to 9 flights per day
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), Nairobi, Kenya – 7 to 8 flights per day
- Moi International Airport (MBA), Mombasa, Kenya – 1 to 6 flights per day (new airline begins operations December 1, 2025)
Key international connections include Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) and Mombasa, Kenya (MBA).
8. Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS) – 99 flights daily
Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, is the largest and busiest airport in Nigeria, serving as the country’s main aviation hub.
It connects passengers to 46 destinations through 34 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic. In 2024, the airport ranked as the 7th busiest in Africa with an average of 101 daily flights.
The busiest domestic route is Lagos to Abuja (Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport), averaging 203 flights weekly, which represents about 28% of all departures.
Air Peace is the largest airline here, by counting the number of departures, with around 132 scheduled take-offs every week.
Top most frequented routes
- Abuja – Nnamdi Azikiwe International (ABV): 21–28 flights per day
- Port Harcourt International (PHC): 9–11 flights per day
- Accra – Kotoka International (ACC): 5–7 flights per day
- Benin City – Benin Airport (BNI): 3–7 flights per day
- Kano – Mallam Aminu International (KAN): 3–5 flights per day
The most frequent international destinations are Accra (Ghana) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).
7. Cape Town International Airport (CPT) – 102 flights daily
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is South Africa’s second-largest airport and an important hub for both domestic and international travel.
As of July 2025, the airport handles an average of 102 daily flights, connecting passengers to 40 destinations through 27 scheduled airlines.
In 2024, Cape Town ranked as the 6th busiest airport in Africa, averaging 103 flights per day.
Safair is currently the largest airline at Cape Town International, operating around 319 departures weekly, followed by Airlink (South Africa) as the second largest carrier.
Top most frequented routes
- Johannesburg International Airport (JNB), South Africa – 37 to 43 flights per day
- Durban International Airport (DUR), South Africa – 12 to 13 flights per day
- Lanseria International Airport (HLA), South Africa – 8 to 9 flights per day
- George Airport (GRJ), South Africa – 2 to 4 flights per day
- Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), South Africa – 2 to 4 flights per day
On the international front, key destinations include Windhoek (WDH), Namibia and London Heathrow (LHR), United Kingdom.
6. Houari Boumediene Airport – Algiers, Algeria (ALG): 102 flights daily
Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG), located in Algiers, is the largest and busiest airport in Algeria. It connects passengers to 80 destinations through 25 international and regional airlines, making it a central hub for both domestic and global travel.
In 2024, the airport ranked eighth in Africa with an average of 100 daily flights, a figure that has now risen slightly to 102 per day.
The most frequently departed route is the route to Paris (CDG) in France, with an average of 69 flights from Houari Boumediene Airport every week, which is 9% of all weekly departures.
Air Algérie dominates operations at the airport with about 515 scheduled take-offs weekly nearly 12 times more than the second-largest operator, Transavia France.
Top most frequented routes
- Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) – Paris, France: 11–14 flights per day
- Orly Airport (ORY) – Paris, France: 8–10 flights per day
- Istanbul Airport (IST) – Istanbul, Turkey: 7–8 flights per day
- Es Senia Airport (ORN) – Oran, Algeria: 5–7 flights per day
- Mohamed Boudiaf International Airport (CZL) – Constantine, Algeria: 4–7 flights per day
5. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport – (Nairobi): 108 flights every day
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), located in Nairobi, is the largest airport in Kenya and serves as a key aviation hub in East Africa.
The airport operates about 108 flights daily, connecting travelers to 64 destinations with 39 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic.
In 2024, Jomo Kenyatta International was not listed among the top 15 busiest airports in Africa. Instead, Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco (CMN) ranked 5th with approximately 104 daily flights.
The busiest route from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is to Mombasa, which records an average of 105 flights every week, making it account for 13% of all weekly departures from the airport.
Kenya Airways is the leading carrier at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, operating about 310 scheduled departures each week. The second-largest operator at the airport is Jambojet Limited.
Top most frequented routes
- Moi International Airport (MBA), Mombasa, Kenya – 13 to 17 flights per day
- Kisumu International Airport (KIS), Kisumu, Kenya – 7 to 10 flights per day
- Entebbe International Airport (EBB), Uganda – 5 to 7 flights per day
- Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ), Tanzania – 5 to 8 flights per day
- Kigali International Airport (KGL), Rwanda – 5 to 6 flights per day
The top international destinations from here are Zanzibar and Entebbe in Uganda.
4. Mohammed V International Airport (CMN): 114 flights every day
Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), located in Casablanca, is the largest airport in Morocco and one of North Africa’s key aviation hubs.
The airport serves 107 destinations through 27 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic. In 2024, it was listed as the fifth busiest airport in Africa with 104 flights daily. it remains a central connection point between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
The busiest route from Mohammed V International Airport is the connection to Paris-Orly (ORY) in France, with an average of 41 weekly flights, accounting for about 5% of all departures.
Royal Air Maroc dominates operations at the airport, with roughly 576 scheduled take-offs each week, nearly 11 times more than the second-largest carrier, Air Arabia Maroc.
Top most frequented routes
- Paris Orly Airport (France) –7 to 10 flights daily.
- Paris Charles De Gaulle (France) –7 to 8 flights daily.
- Marrakesh Menara Airport (Morocco) –5 flights daily.
- Inezgane Airport, Agadir (Morocco) –4–5 flights daily.
- Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (Spain)–3–5 flights daily
3. Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) – 190 flights every day
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) is the largest airport in Ethiopia, ranking as Africa’s third busiest aviation hub with an average of 190 flights every day as of July 2025.
ADD connects passengers to 120 destinations worldwide through 14 scheduled airlines. Located in Ethiopia’s capital, the airport functions as the central hub of Ethiopian Airlines, the continent’s largest and most profitable carrier.
In 2024, Addis Ababa Bole International Airport also held the third spot in Africa, operating with a slightly higher average of 194 daily flights.
The busiest route from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is the domestic connection to Bahar Dar (BJR), which records an average of 99 flights per week, representing about 7% of the airport’s total weekly departures.
Ethiopian Airlines is by far the dominant carrier at the hub, operating approximately 1,376 scheduled flights every week, an overwhelming lead that is nearly 98 times more than the second-largest operator, flydubai.
Top most frequented routes
- Bahir Dar Airport ( Ethiopia) – 14 to 15 flights per day.
- Mekele Airport (Ethiopia) – About 9 flights per day.
- Aba Tenna Dejazmatch Yilma International Airport (Ethiopia) – 7 to 8 flights per day.
- Jijiga Airport (Ethiopia) – 6 to 8 daily flights.
- Combolcha Airport (Ethiopia)- 6 daily flights
On the international front, Dubai (DXB) in the United Arab Emirates and Rome (FCO) in Italy rank among the top destinations.
Cairo International Airport (CAI) is the largest airport in Egypt, ranking as Africa’s second busiest aviation hub with an average of 242 flights per day as of July 2025.
The airport connects passengers to 122 destinations worldwide through 57 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic.
Located in Egypt’s capital city, the airport serves as the country’s primary international gateway and the central hub for EgyptAir.
In 2024, Cairo International Airport ranked as the second busiest in Africa, handling an average of 243 daily flights.
The busiest route out of Cairo International Airport is to Jeddah (JED) in Saudi Arabia, averaging 233 flights each week. This single connection accounts for about 13% of the airport’s total weekly departures.
EgyptAir dominates operations at Cairo International, leading as the airport’s largest carrier by number of departures. The airline operates around 738 scheduled take-offs per week, a figure that is nearly three times higher than its closest competitor, Air Cairo.
Top most frequented routes
- King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) – 31 to 34 flights per day
- King Khaled International, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) – 21 to 25 flights per day
- Kuwait International (Kuwait) – 12 to 15 flights per day
- Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz, Madinah (Saudi Arabia) – 11 to 14 flights per day
- King Fahd International, Dammam (Saudi Arabia) – 8 to 11 flights per day
1. Johannesburg International Airport (JNB) – 249 flights every day
Johannesburg International Airport (JNB) ) is the largest airport in South Africa. It has maintained its position as Africa’s busiest aviation hub, recording an average of 249 flights every day as of July 2025
JNB connects passengers to 77 destinations worldwide through 42 scheduled airlines.
Located in Johannesburg, the country’s financial capital, the airport functions as the primary gateway into Southern Africa and serves as the home hub of South African Airways.
In 2024, JNB led the continent, averaging 251 flights daily. While this year’s traffic shows a slight dip, Johannesburg has consistently outpaced other African airports.
The busiest route from Johannesburg International Airport is to Cape Town (CPT), with an average of 289 flights each week, accounting for 16% of all departures.
Airlink operates the highest number of flights, with about 622 scheduled take-offs weekly, followed by Safair as the second-largest carrier.
Top most frequented routes
- Cape Town International – 36 to 42 flights per day
- Durban International – 26 to 35 daily flights
- Harare International (Zimbabwe) – 8 to 13 flights per day
- Port Elizabeth (South Africa) – 9 to 10 daily flights
- Sir Seretse Khama International (Botswana) – 8 to 9 daily flights
Harare International in Zimbabwe and Sir Seretse Khama International in Botswana rank as the top international destinations from the airport.
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