The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on African governments to place aviation at the centre of national development strategies, describing it as essential infrastructure that can unlock long-term economic and social progress across the continent.

Speaking at the Focus Africa Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, said aviation should be viewed as a catalyst for job creation, trade expansion, tourism growth, and regional integration.

He noted that a well-structured aviation strategy focused on safety, cost efficiency, energy security, sustainability, and a business-friendly regulatory environment would generate lasting economic benefits. According to him, these gains would outweigh short-term revenue considerations from taxation on passengers.

Safety improvements remain critical

While Africa has made progress in aviation safety, IATA highlighted that further improvement is needed. The region’s accident rate declined from 12.13 per million sectors in 2024 to 7.86 in 2025, yet it remains significantly above the global average of 1.32, making it the highest of any region.

IATA urged stronger implementation of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, noting that effective compliance across 46 of 48 Sub-Saharan African states stands at 60.34%, compared with the global average of 69.46% and a target of 75%.

The organisation also pointed to gaps in accident reporting, stating that only 19% of accident reports between 2019 and 2023 were completed, far below the global average of 63%. It stressed that delays or incomplete investigations limit access to safety lessons.

To address these challenges, IATA called for broader use of global safety programmes, including IOSA, ISSA, and ISAGO, to strengthen operational oversight and risk management.

High operating costs remain a barrier

IATA also raised concerns over the cost of doing business in African aviation, noting that taxes and charges imposed by governments and infrastructure providers are around 15% higher than the global average.

The association criticised rising passenger and data-related charges, including Tanzania’s API-PNR fee of $45 per one-way journey, described as the highest globally. Similar high charges were also reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya.

It further urged governments to implement the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decision scheduled for December 2025 to eliminate aviation taxes and reduce selected charges by 25%, stressing the importance of full and timely execution.

IATA also recommended maintaining residence-based corporate taxation for airlines, warning that source-based taxation models under discussion at the United Nations could lead to double taxation due to the cross-border nature of aviation.

Regulatory barriers affecting operations

The organisation highlighted ongoing challenges in revenue repatriation, noting that airlines continue to face restrictions despite international agreements guaranteeing access to earned funds.

As of March 2026, Africa accounted for the largest share of globally blocked airline funds, totalling $774 million. The highest amounts were recorded in Algeria ($258 million), followed by the XAF Zone ($105 million), Mozambique ($82 million), Eritrea ($78 million), and Angola ($73 million).

Alawadhi stressed the need for urgent action in Algeria, saying industry engagement with authorities had so far produced limited progress, while airlines continued to comply with complex requirements.

Visa restrictions were also identified as a major obstacle, with nearly half of intra-African travel still requiring prior visas, limiting mobility, tourism growth, and regional economic integration.

Sustainability and energy opportunities

On sustainability, IATA highlighted opportunities for Africa in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and global carbon market participation.

The organisation noted that Africa could supply up to 57.6 million Eligible Emission Units (EEUs) under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), potentially generating significant climate finance. However, only a limited number of countries, including Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Nigeria, have begun participation.

In addition, IATA said Sub-Saharan Africa could produce up to 106 million tonnes of SAF-compatible feedstock by 2050, using agricultural residues, forestry waste, and municipal solid waste. With supportive policies and infrastructure investment, current renewable fuel capacity could scale significantly, creating jobs and improving energy security.

Source: ZAWYA

The Norwegian Group carried 2.9 million passengers in August 2026, including 2.5 million passengers on Norwegian and 359,000 on Widerøe.

Norwegian increased its capacity by 3% year on year, while passenger traffic climbed 4%. Its load factor improved by 0.4 percentage points to 86.3%. The airline operated an average of 94 aircraft during the month.

Regularity stood at 98.9%, rising to 99.6% when cancellations related to the Avinor air traffic controllers’ strike are excluded. The industrial action disrupted travel for more than 20,000 passengers. Norwegian’s punctuality rate, measured by departures within 15 minutes of schedule, was 80.8%.

Widerøe increased capacity by 2%, while traffic remained unchanged. Its load factor consequently declined by 1.8 percentage points to 75.8%. The regional airline recorded punctuality of 93.3%, an improvement of 1.5 percentage points, while regularity reached 97.4%.

Norwegian said booking activity for the autumn remained strong, particularly around the school holidays. Meanwhile, its Norwegian Reward loyalty programme has surpassed 10 million members and is introducing five new membership tiers.

Source: QCAA

African airlines recorded a 6.4% year-on-year increase in passenger demand in July 2026, according to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Capacity across African carriers increased by 9.0% compared with July 2025, while the passenger load factor stood at 74.1%. Domestic revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) in the region rose 0.6% during the month.

Globally, total passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, increased just 0.2% from July 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew 1.2%, while available seat kilometres, the industry measure of capacity, increased 0.3%.

The global load factor was 85.2%. International demand declined 0.1% year on year. When the Middle East was excluded, international demand increased 1.5%, with capacity also rising 0.3% and the load factor reaching 85.2%.

Domestic passenger demand worldwide grew 0.6% compared with July 2025, while domestic capacity increased 0.2%. The domestic load factor stood at 85.3%.

Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist, said the peak Northern Hemisphere summer travel season had produced a largely positive result despite weaker performance by carriers in North America and the Middle East.

She also noted that traffic through Gulf aviation hubs was continuing to recover.

Thomsen said airlines remained confident about demand for the final months of the year despite elevated fuel costs, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. Carriers are planning to increase seat capacity by almost 3% in September, she added.

Source: Nigerian Tribune

Global air passenger demand recorded modest growth in July 2026, as strong performances in several regions helped offset declines among carriers in North America and the Middle East, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Total revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) increased by 0.2% compared with July 2025. Excluding Middle Eastern airlines, global passenger demand rose by 1.2%.

Worldwide capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), grew by 0.3% year-on-year, while the global passenger load factor slipped by 0.1 percentage points to 85.2%.

International traffic declined by 0.1% compared with the same month last year. However, excluding Middle Eastern carriers, international demand increased by 1.5%.

Domestic passenger demand rose by 0.6%, supported by a 0.2% increase in capacity. The domestic load factor reached 85.3%.

Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA's Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist, said the peak Northern Hemisphere summer travel season had delivered an overall positive picture for aviation despite challenges in key markets.

“Overall growth of 0.2% in July was achieved despite year-on-year collective declines by carriers in North America and the Middle East,” she said, adding that traffic through Gulf hubs continued to recover.

Thomsen noted that high fuel prices, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions remain challenges for the industry. However, airlines remain confident about demand later in the year, with seat capacity expected to expand by almost 3% in September.

European airlines posted demand growth of 3.1%, supported in particular by a 12.1% surge in traffic between Europe and Asia.

Latin American carriers recorded a 7.1% increase in demand, while African airlines reported growth of 6.4%.

Elsewhere, Asia-Pacific demand declined by 0.7%, and North American carriers saw a 2.3% fall. Middle Eastern airlines reported the sharpest decline, with demand down 9.5%, although the pace of the downturn continued to ease.

Domestic traffic rose 0.6% worldwide, with China and Brazil reporting strong growth. In contrast, domestic markets in the United States, Australia and India recorded declines.

Source: ZAWYA

Typhoon Dolphin brought torrential rain to Shanghai on Monday, August 10, 2026, flooding roads and commercial areas and severely disrupting air travel in the city.

The weather system forced Shanghai’s two airports to cancel a combined 943 flights, while their overall passenger capacity was reduced by nearly 40%.

The disruption followed Dolphin’s landfall in Zhejiang province on Sunday evening. The typhoon struck areas south and west of Shanghai with maximum sustained winds of 151 kilometres per hour near its centre.

Dolphin later weakened into a tropical storm, but its remaining rain bands continued to bring heavy precipitation across large parts of eastern China.

Shanghai, the country’s second-most populous city, experienced widespread flooding, including in several major commercial districts.

China Eastern Airlines said it was working to gradually restore flights to Shanghai, Zhejiang and other affected destinations as weather conditions improve.

Source: Asia News Network

Thousands of WestJet cabin crew members began strike action on Aug. 2 after nearly 11 months of contract negotiations failed to result in a new labor agreement, triggering widespread disruptions across the airline's network.

The industrial action involves around 4,400 flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 8125. The strike officially started after talks between the union and the airline ended without a new collective agreement.

The labor dispute has already forced WestJet to cancel more than 300 flights, affecting travel plans across its domestic and international routes.

Ahead of the strike, the airline had begun grounding portions of its Boeing 737 fleet as a precautionary measure to minimize operational disruption and reduce the risk of leaving passengers and aircraft stranded during the work stoppage.

Source: Aero Time