Follow Us on Google
…As Cape Town Airport emerges continent’s busiest route
Cape Town International Airport has emerged as Africa’s busiest airport connection for 2025, according to the latest World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Other News
The route linking Cape Town to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (CPT–JNB) carried 3.4 million passengers over the year, cementing its status as the continent’s leading domestic air corridor.
The annual WATS report, which draws on data from 1,315 airlines including more than 250 international carriers, provides one of the most comprehensive snapshots of global air travel demand, aircraft usage, and passenger markets.
However, despite Cape Town–Johannesburg’s standing as Africa’s busiest single air route, no African country appears anywhere among the world’s 10 largest passenger markets for 2025. The full list is made up of the United States, China, and a mix of European and Asian nations, the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, India, Italy, Germany, France, and Türkiye, with not a single African market breaking in, even at the bottom of the ranking.
Globally, the United States remained the world’s biggest aviation market in 2025, recording 890.1 million passengers across arrivals and departures. Despite retaining the top spot, the US posted the slowest growth among the world’s 10 largest markets, expanding just 1.6% year-on-year. China trailed in second place with 776.1 million passengers, growing at a faster pace of 4.8% compared to 2024.
On the aircraft side, the Boeing 737 retained its position as the most-used aircraft type in the world in 2025, operating 10.8 million flights, a 12.0% increase from 2024. That figure puts it well ahead of its closest rival, the Airbus A320, which recorded 8.7 million flights, and the Airbus A321, with 4.2 million flights.
The continued dominance of the 737 reflects the reliance of airlines on narrowbody aircraft for high-frequency, short- and medium-haul routes.
