Air Peace surges back into Africa’s top 10 as seat capacity jumps 54.7%

In September 2026, Nigeria's Air Peace airline reclaimed a spot in Africa's top 10 airlines by seat capacity, experiencing a remarkable 54.7% increase in scheduled seats compared to the previous year. This surge propelled Air Peace back into the top 10 after it had dropped out in July, having previously held the 10th position in June.

The airline's seat capacity in September reached 354,804, a figure that surpassed Kenya Airways, which had previously occupied the 10th position in July 2026. Air Peace's capacity growth of 125,400 seats represented a significant increase of 54.7% year-on-year.

Other airlines also made strides in Africa's aviation market. Egypt's Air Cairo entered the top 10 in the ninth position with 360,502 scheduled seats, while Royal Air Maroc claimed the fourth position with a 19.2% capacity growth, adding about 127,800 seats compared to September 2025. Overall, Africa's scheduled seat capacity increased by 9.4% year-on-year to 25.8 million seats in September 2026.

The aviation market's growth was primarily driven by international capacity, which accounted for 78% of the total and increased by 8.9% compared to the previous year. Domestic capacity, on the other hand, grew at a faster rate of 11.6% year-on-year. These figures highlight the expanding aviation sector across Africa, with both domestic and international capacity witnessing substantial growth.

Air Peace, Nigeria's largest airline by fleet size and route network, operates both domestic and international services. The airline's capacity expansion is supported by recent fleet growth initiatives. The new aircraft leasing structure, backed by sovereign investment, aims to simplify aircraft acquisition or leasing for Nigerian carriers and alleviate operational constraints stemming from fleet shortages. This development will benefit Air Peace and other Nigerian airlines as they continue to grow their capacity.