African airlines traded faster growth in passenger traffic for a dilution in seat occupancy in August, as capacity expanded faster than demand, according to new International Air Transport Association (IATA) data.
Passenger demand across African carriers rose 6.7 percent year-on-year in August 2026, but available capacity increased by a faster 8.3 percent, resulting in a 1.2 percentage-point decline in the passenger load factor to 78.4 percent.
