Top 10 busiest airports in Africa by outbound seats in December 2025 

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 7.3% in October 2025, with the load factor increasing to 74.1%, 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, a global aviation data platform, provides a clear snapshot of the continent’s busiest airports for December 2025. The 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 serving European leisure travelers to sub-Saharan airports linking regional business and tourism, 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 December 2025, highlighting both passenger volumes and the infrastructure that supports their operations.

Hurghada International Airport  

Hurghada International Airport ranked tenth among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 469,149 seats. This is up from 443,629 seats in December 2024, a 5.8% increase.

The airport serves the city of Hurghada and is located about five kilometres southwest of El Dahar, the city centre. It is Egypt’s second-busiest airport, behind Cairo International. The airport is a key gateway for leisure travelers, particularly from Europe.

Hurghada has two terminals, including a modern terminal opened in 2014, spanning 92,000 square metres with 72 check-in counters, 20 departure gates, and a duty-free arcade. Originally a military airport in the 1980s, it has grown alongside Hurghada’s development into a major international resort destination.

The airport plays a crucial role in bringing tourists to Hurghada’s beaches, watersports, and diving sites. It is a vital hub for both domestic and international leisure travel, especially during the peak winter season.

Murtala Muhammed International Airport

Murtala Muhammed International Airport ranked ninth among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 495,635 seats. This is up from 489,385 seats in December 2024, a 1.3% increase. It 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 from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) under the ICAO State Profile framework, international passenger traffic at MMIA rose 6.5% to 4.3 million in 2024, up from 4.04 million in 2023. International cargo increased 11.3% to 150 million kilograms, and aircraft movements for international flights grew 7.7% to 40,250, compared to 37,375 the previous year.

MMIA has an international terminal and a domestic terminal about one kilometre apart, sharing the same runways. It is the main base for Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, and several other carriers.

The Nigerian government approved N712 billion for upgrades, with work starting in September 2025. The project includes Terminal 1 rehabilitation, Terminal 2 expansion, improved road access, connection buildings, and a temporary departure hall to minimize disruption. MMIA remains a key hub for Nigeria’s aviation, business, and tourism sectors.

Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport ranked eighth among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 505,114 seats. This is slightly up from 504,122 seats in December 2024, a 0.2% increase—the smallest year-on-year growth among the top 10 airports.

It is Kenya’s primary international gateway, connecting Nairobi with destinations across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America.

The airport has multiple terminals catering to different flight types. Terminals 1A, 1B, and 1C handle international departures and serve airlines such as Kenya Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Qatar Airways, Air France, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir, and RwandAir.

Terminal 1D manages domestic arrivals and departures for carriers like Kenya Airways and Jambojet, while Terminal 1E serves international arrivals. Terminal 2 is used by low-cost and regional airlines, including Jambojet, Fly540, and Fastjet.

Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta plays a key role in both regional and international travel, supporting Kenya’s tourism and business sectors despite the slight year-on-year increase in departing seats.

Houari Boumediene International Airport

Houari Boumediene International Airport ranked seventh among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 552,147 seats. This is up from 501,896 seats in December 2024, a 10% increase.

The airport is Algeria’s main international gateway, connecting Algiers with more than 80 destinations through 26 airlines. It has multiple terminals catering to different flight types.

Terminal 1 handles domestic flights, Terminal 2 manages charter and pilgrimage operations, and Terminal 4, the newest facility opened in 2019, handles international flights. It is the main base for Air Algérie and Tassili Airlines, and also accommodates major international carriers like Air France, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Saudia.

Houari Boumediene Airport is a critical hub for North African aviation, supporting passenger and cargo traffic, and serving as a gateway between Algeria, Europe, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Marrakech Menara International Airport

Marrakech Menara International Airport ranked sixth among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 587,925 seats. This is up from 517,393 seats in December 2024, a 13.6% increase.

It is the main international gateway to Marrakech, connecting the city with destinations across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

The airport has two terminals, with Terminal 1 handling most domestic and international flights. It is a hub for Royal Air Maroc and a focus city for Ryanair, serving a large share of Morocco’s tourist traffic.

Marrakech Menara plays a key role in Morocco’s tourism-driven economy, bringing travelers to the city’s historic sites, resorts, and leisure destinations, particularly during the peak winter season.

Cape Town International Airport

Cape Town International Airport ranked fifth among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 663,879 seats. This is up from 629,456 seats in December 2024, a 5.5% increase. It is South Africa’s second-busiest airport, connecting the Western Cape to domestic and international destinations.

The airport has two main terminals. Terminal 1 handles international flights with major global carriers, while Terminal 2 serves domestic routes linking Cape Town to cities such as Johannesburg and Durban.

Cape Town International plays a key role in supporting tourism and business travel, offering access to the region’s scenic landscapes, cultural attractions, and economic hubs.

Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport

Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport ranked fourth among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 684,337 seats.

This is up from 582,622 seats in December 2024, a 17.5% increase. It is Morocco’s main hub, connecting Casablanca with more than 96 destinations worldwide through around 50 airlines.

The airport has three passenger terminals. Terminal 1 is the newest and largest, with modern facilities and a capacity of 14 million passengers. Terminal 2 handles international flights, while Terminal 3 is mainly dedicated to cargo operations.

Casablanca Airport supports Morocco’s tourism, business, and freight sectors, handling a high volume of passengers and cargo efficiently.

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport ranked third among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 1,173,631 seats.

This is up from 1,112,537 seats in December 2024, a 5.5% increase. It is Ethiopia’s main international gateway and the primary hub for Ethiopian Airlines, connecting Africa to Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

The airport has two terminals. Terminal II handles international flights, while Terminal I serves domestic routes. It features arrival and departure halls, a VIP area, immigration and customs offices, self-check-in kiosks, duty-free shops, banks, and restaurants.

Addis Ababa Bole supports both regional and long-haul traffic, acting as a key transit point for passengers traveling within Africa and beyond.

O.R. Tambo International Airport

O.R. Tambo International Airport ranked second among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 1,224,799 seats.

This is up from 1,146,425 seats in December 2024, a 6.8% increase. It is South Africa’s largest airport and the main hub for South African Airways, connecting Johannesburg with all six inhabited continents.

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 manages high traffic volumes efficiently, supporting both regional and international travel and serving as a gateway to sub-Saharan Africa.

Cairo International Airport

Cairo International Airport ranked first among Africa’s busiest airports by departing seats in December 2025, recording 1,687,283 seats. This is up from 1,564,581 seats in December 2024, a 7.8% increase. It is Egypt’s primary international gateway, 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, added a new VIP arrival and departure hall, a multi-story underground garage, and improved road access.

Cairo International remains a critical hub for Egypt’s aviation, business, and tourism sectors, managing a high volume of passengers and flights efficiently.