Africa Weekly Aviation Trails: Week 1, 2025 Highlights.

Introduction.

According to International Air Transport Association (IATA)‘s latest projections, global passenger numbers are expected to reach 5.2 billion in 2025, a 6.7% increase compared to 2024, marking the first time they exceed five billion. Total industry revenues are forecasted at $1.007 trillion, a 4.4% rise from 2024, driven by declining oil and fuel prices. This will also be the first time industry revenues surpass $1 trillion. Net profits are projected at $36.6 billion, representing a 3.6% net profit margin, up from $31.5 billion (3.3%) in 2024. Average net profit per passenger is expected to be $7.0, an improvement from $6.4 in 2024 but below the $7.9 high of 2023. Operating profit for 2025 is anticipated to reach $67.5 billion, with a 6.7% operating margin (up from 6.4% in 2024). Return on invested capital (ROIC) is estimated at 6.8%, while cargo volumes are forecasted to rise to 72.5 million tonnes, a 5.8% growth from 2024.

African Aviation: Projections and Statistics.

Egyptian airports experienced notable growth in 2024. Excluding Cairo International Airport, passenger numbers surpassed 22 million, up 9% from 2023’s 20 million. Flights at these airports also increased by 3% to 167,684 compared to 162,770 in 2023. Cairo International Airport, Egypt’s major hub, recorded 28.775 million passengers (up from 26.463 million in 2023) and handled 211,664 flights (an increase from 198,943). Egypt aims to boost passenger numbers to 72.2 million annually by 2025 and 110 million by 2030, with tourism numbers rising to 15.3 million in 2024 (a 5% increase). The country targets 30 million tourists by 2028.

South Africa’s FlySafair was named Africa’s most on-time airline in 2024 by Cirium, achieving an impressive 93.82% on-time performance (OTP) from over 57,000 flights tracked. It also recorded a 99.86% completion factor, reflecting minimal cancellations.