Nigeria's Air Peace has re-entered Africa's top ten airlines after a nearly 55% increase in its scheduled capacity over one year. The airline scheduled 354,804 seats for September, a 54.7% rise from the previous year. This growth made Air Peace the fastest-growing airline among the continent's ten largest carriers by seat capacity.
Ethiopian Airlines maintained its top position with approximately 2.09 million scheduled seats, an increase of 10%. Safair ranked second with 1.08 million seats, followed by EgyptAir with about 891,000 seats. Royal Air Maroc was fourth, showing a 19.2% growth, and Air Algérie completed the top five.
Air Peace's expansion mirrors a broader increase in Nigerian aviation capacity. Nigeria recorded 1.19 million scheduled seats in September, a 37.4% increase from the previous year, marking the fastest growth rate among Africa's ten largest country markets. Domestic capacity saw an even more significant rise of 44.8%, reaching 877,000 seats.
OAG attributed this growth to currency reforms, aircraft leasing arrangements, and renewed confidence among airlines operating in Nigeria. Previously, foreign currency shortages and difficulties in repatriating ticket revenue had deterred international airlines from expanding their presence in the country. Nigerian carriers also faced challenges in acquiring aircraft, spare parts, and dollar-denominated maintenance services.
The latest capacity figures suggest that some of these constraints are easing, though underlying financial pressures may persist.
Lagos also emerged as the fastest-growing airport among Africa's ten busiest, with seat capacity increasing by 24.1% to approximately 470,000.
Despite Air Peace's impressive growth, Ethiopian Airlines remains significantly larger, offering nearly six times as many seats and operating Africa's most extensive international network. Air Peace re-entered the top ten at number ten, behind airlines such as Royal Air Maroc, Air Algérie, Airlink, Ryanair, Emirates, and Air Cairo. Air Cairo and Air Peace were new entrants to the top ten in September, replacing Transavia France and Kenya Airways.
Across the continent, airlines scheduled 25.8 million seats in September, a 9.4% increase from September 2025. International services accounted for 78% of the total capacity, and low-cost carriers experienced faster expansion than traditional airlines.
It is important to note that scheduled seats represent the capacity an airline intends to offer, not the actual number of passengers carried, flights operated, or the airline's profitability.
