Top 10 airlines in Africa by seat capacity in September 2026

In September 2026, Air Peace reclaimed its position in Africa's top 10 airlines by scheduled seat capacity, boasting 354,804 seats—an impressive 54.7% increase from the previous year. The Nigerian carrier, which had fallen out of the top 10 in August, was the only Nigerian airline in the ranking, benefiting from its extensive domestic network and expanding regional and international operations.

Air Peace added a Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft to its fleet in May 2026, further bolstering its capacity. Air Cairo entered the top 10 at number nine with 360,502 seats, marking a 14.9% year-on-year growth. The Egyptian carrier's ascent was attributed to its growing fleet, which included its 40th aircraft, an Airbus A320neo, added in August 2026.

Emirates secured the eighth spot with 427,100 scheduled seats, up 9.3% from the previous year. The Dubai-based airline's capacity growth was driven by its extensive network serving African markets and introducing new daily flights, such as the third Dubai-Nairobi service and a third daily Dubai-Cape Town service. Ryanair ranked seventh with 472,839 scheduled seats, a 5.3% increase from September 2025.

As an Irish low-cost carrier, Ryanair operates extensively in North Africa from its European network. Airlink held the sixth position with 538,052 scheduled seats, a 5.1% rise from the prior year. The South African regional carrier, a member of the Azorra lease agreement, plans to launch a non-stop Cape Town-Zanzibar service in October 2026 using its Embraer E195-E2 aircraft.

Air Algérie claimed the fifth position with 756,627 scheduled seats, up 13.3% from September 2025. The Algerian national carrier, serving domestic, regional, and international markets, is expanding its fleet to bolster its long-haul and African networks.