Nigeria has been ranked seventh place among the many prime ten busiest airports in Africa.
A brand new report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) exhibits that African airways noticed a giant 20.7% enhance in worldwide passengers in comparison with final yr.
This increase is a part of an even bigger development the place the worldwide airline trade is recovering, with general passenger numbers in February 2024 being 5.7% greater than earlier than the pandemic.
Main the checklist of the highest ten busiest airports in Africa is Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo Worldwide Airport, serving as the first aviation hub for Southern Africa.
Right here a the checklist of the highest 10 busiest Airports:
1. O.R. Tambo Worldwide Airport, Johannesburg
In 2023, O.R. Tambo Worldwide Airport in Johannesburg dealt with a complete of 15 million passengers. This determine consists of all home and worldwide passenger actions all year long.
O.R. Tambo Worldwide Airport serves because the nation’s major aviation gateway, Resulting from South Africa’s intensive measurement, air journey is usually probably the most sensible technique for connecting its numerous cities.
In 2006, the airport was renamed to honour Oliver Reginald Tambo, a celebrated anti-apartheid determine. The airport was beforehand named Jan Smuts, after a former prime minister who supported apartheid insurance policies.
2. Cairo Worldwide Airport, Cairo
Cairo International Airport has lately seen exceptional improvement and progress, establishing itself as a key hub in Africa for each passenger and cargo flights.
All through 2023, the airport efficiently managed over 26 million passengers on practically 195,000 flights.
This important exercise contributed to Egypt’s general airport site visitors, which surged to about 47 million passengers for the yr, representing a considerable 28% enhance in comparison with the earlier yr.
This progress underscores Cairo Worldwide Airport’s increasing function in connecting Egypt with international locations, boosting its capabilities to deal with an growing circulation of travellers and items.
3. Addis Ababa Bole Worldwide Airport, Addis Ababa
Bole Worldwide Airport is the principle base for Ethiopian Airways, which is the largest airline in Africa. It has good connections to locations inside Africa and different continents.
The airport is rising shortly and has the amenities wanted to handle tens of hundreds of travellers every single day throughout the busiest instances.
4. Cape City Worldwide Airport
Named the perfect airport on the continent for seven consecutive years, Cape City Worldwide airport ranks among the many busiest in Africa, having accommodated 10.9 million passengers in 2019.
Nearly all of these travellers possible had a optimistic expertise, as evidenced by its recognition from Skytrax, the world’s airline and airport star ranking programme.
5. Mohammed V Worldwide Airport, Casablanca
In 2023, Mohammed V Worldwide Airport in Casablanca skilled important progress in passenger numbers, accommodating practically 8.97 million passengers within the first 11 months of the yr.
This marked a 95% restoration in comparison with the identical interval in 2019. The airport’s efficiency signifies a strong rebound in air journey following the downturns of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Morocco’s busiest airport is in Casablanca, a metropolis famend for its function within the traditional World Conflict Two movie.
6. Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers
Within the first quarter of 2023, Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers recorded a complete of 1.7 million passengers.
This determine consists of over 640,000 departing and nearly 511,000 arriving worldwide passengers, together with 270,000 departing and 276,000 arriving on home flights.
The airport dealt with a complete of 17,500 flights throughout this era, break up between home and worldwide routes.
Regardless of these numbers, the airport is way larger than it appears. It has 4 terminals and might handle as much as 22 million passengers yearly, though it hasn’t reached this capability but.
Like many different airports talked about, Houari Boumediene Airport is called after Algeria’s second president after gaining independence.
7. Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport, Lagos
In 2023, Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport in Lagos processed roughly 6.53 million passengers.
This information locations it among the many busiest airports in Africa, reflecting a major quantity of each home and worldwide journey dealt with by the airport.
The airport stays a important hub for each passenger and cargo site visitors in West and Central Africa.
8. Menara Airport, Marrakech
Menara Airport serves Morocco’s capital metropolis of the Marrakech-Safi area, Marrakech.
Marrakech Menara Airport lately ranked because the second-best regional airport in Africa in 2023 in line with the Skytrax.
This highlights its top-notch companies, cleanliness, and the way nicely it takes care of its travellers. These awards present the airport’s ongoing efforts to make flying higher for passengers.
Moreover, Menara isn’t only for passengers; it’s absolutely outfitted to deal with cargo too. It has a protracted runway and presents numerous companies like floor dealing with and gasoline provide, making certain easy operations for each cargo and passenger flights.
9. Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport, Nairobi
Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport is considered one of East Africa’s busiest airports.
In 2023, Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi deliberate to construct a brand new terminal to cut back crowding.
There was additionally a fireplace that quickly closed considered one of its terminals, however operations had been shortly adjusted to maintain the airport operating easily. Upgrades and enhancements had been made all year long to make the airport higher for travellers
Moreover, JKIA’s strategic location in East Africa makes it a important gateway for worldwide vacationers heading to different locations inside Africa, Europe, the Center East, and Asia.
10. King Shaka Worldwide Airport, Durban
King Shaka Worldwide Airport, named after the founding father of the Zulu kingdom, is amongst South Africa’s most trendy airports. It boasts spacious terminals and might accommodate giant intercontinental plane just like the Airbus A380.