Air Peace emerged as Africa’s fastest-growing airline by seat capacity in December 2025, recording a sharp year on year expansion that outpaced all other carriers on the continent, according to new aviation data.
The Nigerian airline increased its available seats by 53.4 percent, rising from 285,470 seats in December 2024 to 437,974 seats in December 2025, based on figures from OAG’s Monthly Airline Data Updates for the African Market.
The OAG report shows that while Air Peace led in growth rate, it still ranked behind larger airlines in absolute seat numbers. Ryanair recorded the second highest growth among African operators, expanding capacity by 24.4 percent, from 332,295 seats to 413,411 seats over the same period.
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier by seat volume, posted a 14.1 percent increase, growing from 1,701,244 seats in December 2024 to 1,940,328 seats in December 2025, maintaining its top position on the continent.
Several North African airlines recorded moderate but consistent growth. Royal Air Maroc expanded capacity by 7.6 percent, increasing seats from 574,352 to 618,003, while Air Algérie grew by 6.7 percent, rising from 577,811 to 616,635 seats.
EgyptAir posted a more modest 4.0 percent increase, adding over 31,000 seats year on year to reach 823,910 seats in December 2025.
At the lower end of the growth scale, FlySafair recorded minimal expansion, with capacity edging up by just 0.4 percent, from 934,044 to 937,746 seats.
Emirates, the only non African airline among the top ten, increased its African capacity by 9.4 percent, growing from 357,888 to 391,585 seats, reflecting sustained international demand.
In contrast, Kenya Airways reduced capacity by 1.3 percent, while Airlink recorded the steepest decline among major carriers, cutting seat supply by 10.0 percent year-on-year.
By total seat volume in December 2025, Ethiopian Airlines ranked first with 1.94 million seats, followed by FlySafair and EgyptAir. Air Peace placed sixth, overtaking several competitors following its sharp expansion.
The top ten ranking was rounded out by Airlink, Kenya Airways, Ryanair, and Emirates, based on total scheduled seats.
Despite Air Peace’s strong performance, Nigeria’s overall airline market contracted in December 2025. The country recorded 1.16 million scheduled passenger seats, representing a 3.7 percent decline from December 2024, making Nigeria the only top 10 African aviation market to shrink during the period.
Egypt remained Africa’s largest aviation market with 2.98 million seats, followed by South Africa, Morocco, and Ethiopia. Tanzania posted the fastest growth among the top ten, expanding capacity by over 20 percent.
In the domestic segment, Nigeria ranked second with 850,420 seats, down 7.5 percent year on year. South Africa retained the top spot domestically, while Kenya and Tanzania followed.
In North Africa, domestic capacity rose in Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco, while Cape Verde recorded the fastest growth. Some markets, including Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, saw declines.
Ademide Adebayo
Follow us on:
