Published: November 9, 2026
Africa's airports had a record year in 2025. The ten busiest moved 136.4 million passengers, up 10.1 percent on 2024. Cairo stayed far ahead of every rival. Lagos, the gateway to Africa's biggest country, only just missed the list. This ranking counts every passenger who arrived, departed or passed through each airport in calendar year 2025.
Key Facts
- Cairo ranks first with 31,137,557 passengers in 2025, a record year. It handled 1.58 times the traffic of second-placed OR Tambo (19,735,437), and more than Addis Ababa and Casablanca combined.
- The top 10 handled 136,384,759 passengers in 2025, up 10.1% on the 2024 top 10 total of 123,892,309. Every airport in the top 10 grew.
- Egypt has three airports in the top 10: Cairo, Hurghada (5th) and Sharm el-Sheikh (9th). Together they handled 51,609,776 passengers, more than OR Tambo and Bole combined (32,869,513).
- Sharm el-Sheikh grew fastest at 32.3%, from 6,837,007 passengers in 2024 to 9,046,690 in 2025. Nairobi grew slowest, at 2.8%.
- Nairobi takes the last top-10 place with 8,996,281 passengers, 1,528,156 ahead of Lagos. Lagos, the gateway to Africa's most populous country, misses the top 10 and leads Tunis-Carthage by only 43,720.
| Rank | Airport | City, Country | Passengers 2025 | Passengers 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairo International | Cairo, Egypt | 31,137,557 | 28,974,638 | +7.5% |
| 2 | OR Tambo International | Johannesburg, South Africa | 19,735,437 | 18,371,492 | +7.4% |
| 3 | Bole International | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 13,134,076 | 12,099,516 | +8.6% |
| 4 | Mohammed V International | Casablanca, Morocco | 11,456,284 | 10,449,372 | +9.6% |
| 5 | Hurghada International | Hurghada, Egypt | 11,425,529 | 9,636,689 | +18.6% |
| 6 | Cape Town International | Cape Town, South Africa | 11,113,490 | 10,366,555 | +7.2% |
| 7 | Marrakesh Menara | Marrakesh, Morocco | 10,197,736 | 9,250,943 | +10.2% |
| 8 | Houari Boumediene | Algiers, Algeria | 10,141,679 | 9,151,517 | +10.8% |
| 9 | Sharm el-Sheikh International | Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt | 9,046,690 | 6,837,007 | +32.3% |
| 10 | Jomo Kenyatta International | Nairobi, Kenya | 8,996,281 | 8,754,580 | +2.8% |
Cairo alone is 22.8 percent of the top-10 total. The top two airports, Cairo and OR Tambo, are 37.3 percent of it. The closest race is fourth place: Casablanca beats Hurghada by only 30,755 passengers. Marrakesh beats Algiers by 56,057, and Sharm el-Sheikh beats Nairobi by 50,409.
1. Cairo International (31,137,557)
Cairo is Africa's busiest airport by a wide margin. It handled 31,137,557 passengers in 2025, a record year. EgyptAir, its home carrier, connects Cairo to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America. The busiest day was December 25, 2025, with about 103,000 passengers on 696 flights. Egypt's civil aviation ministry first announced a preliminary 30.94 million for the year, before the final count reached 31.14 million. A fourth terminal is planned, adding about 30 million in annual capacity. Egypt welcomed a record of about 19 million tourists in 2025, up 21 percent, and much of that traffic came through Cairo.
2. OR Tambo International (19,735,437)
OR Tambo is Southern Africa's busiest airport and the main gateway into South Africa. It handled 19,735,437 passengers in 2025, up 7.4 percent. South African Airways uses it as its home base. Airports Company South Africa reports on a fiscal year from April to March, and its 2025/26 fiscal total was 20,083,399 passengers, which brackets the calendar figure. The airport's capacity is about 28 million passengers a year, and its master plan targets 55 to 60 million. December 2025 brought a festive peak plus traffic from the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
3. Bole International (13,134,076)
Bole is the hub of Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, and about 70 percent of its traffic is transit passengers connecting between continents. It handled 13,134,076 passengers in 2025, up 8.6 percent. The airport is near its capacity of about 22 to 25 million passengers a year. The Bishoftu mega-airport broke ground on January 10, 2026, with a first phase of 60 million passengers a year due by 2030.
4. Mohammed V International (11,456,284)
Casablanca passed 11 million passengers for the first time in 2025. It is the hub of Royal Air Maroc and Morocco's main gateway. It handled 11,456,284 passengers, up 9.6 percent. The Africa Cup of Nations, which ran from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, boosted traffic at the end of the year. Morocco's airport authority targets 12.5 million passengers at Casablanca in 2026 and more than 20 million by 2030.
5. Hurghada International (11,425,529)
Hurghada is Egypt's second-busiest airport and the gateway to the Red Sea resorts. It handled 11,425,529 passengers in 2025, up 18.6 percent. Its record day was October 25, 2025, with 53,169 passengers. It finished just 30,755 passengers behind Casablanca, the closest race in the top 10. Egypt is tendering a private operator for Hurghada, the first of 11 airports in the programme, and a third terminal is planned to add 10 to 15 million in annual capacity.
6. Cape Town International (11,113,490)
Cape Town set a record with 11,113,490 passengers in 2025: 3.3 million international and 7.8 million domestic, each up 7 percent. December 2025 was its biggest month ever, with 1.12 million passengers. This is the most firmly verified figure in the ranking: Airports Company South Africa reports the exact same total. LATAM launches a direct Sao Paulo to Cape Town service three times a week from July 2026, the first direct link between Cape Town and South America. A new domestic arrivals terminal and international terminal upgrades are under way.
7. Marrakesh Menara (10,197,736)
Marrakesh passed 10 million passengers for the first time in 2025, with 10,197,736. It is Morocco's tourism hub, and it also gained from Africa Cup of Nations spillover. It leads Algiers by only 56,057 passengers. Marrakesh is the second Moroccan airport in the top 10, and the two Moroccan airports together handled 21,654,020 passengers, more than OR Tambo alone.
8. Houari Boumediene (10,141,679)
Algiers handled 10,141,679 passengers in 2025, up 10.8 percent, and passed 10 million for the first time. It is the hub of Air Algerie. Its operator targets 11 million passengers by 2026. The West Terminal, opened in 2019, has a capacity of 10 million, so the airport is now operating at its limit. Facial recognition and AI passenger processing are being rolled out, and expansion toward 20 million capacity is planned by 2027.
9. Sharm el-Sheikh International (9,046,690)
Sharm el-Sheikh is the fastest-growing airport in the top 10. It handled 9,046,690 passengers in 2025, up 32.3 percent from 6,837,007 in 2024. It is Egypt's third airport in the top 10 and the second Red Sea resort gateway on the list, after Hurghada. Terminal expansion is planned toward 18 to 20 million in annual capacity, about double its current traffic.
10. Jomo Kenyatta International (8,996,281)
Nairobi takes the last top-10 place with 8,996,281 passengers, up 2.8 percent, the slowest growth in the top 10. It is the hub of Kenya Airways. The airport is operating beyond its 7.5 million design capacity on a single runway. Kenyan sources put the 2025 figure lower, between 8.6 and 8.9 million, probably because they count transit passengers differently. Under any of those figures Nairobi still holds tenth place. Kenya issued a tender on March 3, 2026 for a new terminal that would lift capacity to 22 million passengers.
Just outside the top 10, Lagos ranks 11th with 7,468,125 passengers, up 13.1 percent, and Tunis-Carthage ranks 12th with 7,424,405, up 2.0 percent. Lagos is the hub of Air Peace and the busiest airport in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. Nigeria handled 18.8 million passengers in total in 2025, the fourth-largest aviation market in Africa, and Lagos recorded the fastest growth in aircraft movements among Africa's top airports, up 11.8 percent. Renovation of its old Terminal 1 began in August 2025. Tunis-Carthage is the hub of Tunisair, and Tunisia announced a 3 billion dinar expansion in March 2026 to lift its capacity from about 5 million to 18.5 million by 2031.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the busiest airport in Africa in 2026?
Cairo International Airport in Egypt, with 31,137,557 passengers in 2025. It handled 1.58 times the traffic of second-placed OR Tambo in Johannesburg, and more than Addis Ababa and Casablanca combined.
How many passengers did Cairo Airport handle in 2025?
31,137,557 passengers, a record year. Egypt's civil aviation ministry first announced a preliminary 30.94 million before the year had ended. The final count, from France's civil aviation data bulletin, is 31,137,557. A third figure of 31.29 million has also been reported, most likely because transit passengers are counted differently.
Which African airport grew the fastest in 2025?
Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport in Egypt, up 32.3 percent, from 6,837,007 passengers in 2024 to 9,046,690 in 2025. Hurghada was second-fastest at 18.6 percent, and Lagos was third at 13.1 percent. Nairobi grew slowest in the top 10, at 2.8 percent.
Why is Lagos airport not in the top 10?
Lagos ranks 11th with 7,468,125 passengers in 2025. Nairobi takes tenth place with 8,996,281, a gap of 1,528,156 passengers. Lagos grew fast, up 13.1 percent, but it started the year 2.15 million behind Nairobi and could not close the gap. It leads 12th-placed Tunis by only 43,720 passengers, so it only just held its place as the first airport outside the top 10.
How are the busiest airports in Africa ranked?
By total passengers handled in calendar year 2025, counting arrivals, departures and transit passengers together. The figures come from France's civil aviation data bulletin of April 2026, the latest consolidated source, and were checked against airport operator releases where available. Airports in the Spanish Canary Islands are excluded: they sit in ACI Europe, not ACI Africa, and serve mainly European holiday traffic. This ranking covers airports in African countries.
Data Sources
- France Aviation Civile Services (DGAC France), Air Transport Data Bulletin, April 2026, via the Wikipedia list of the busiest airports in Africa, accessed November 9, 2026. The source for every figure in the table.
- Airports Company South Africa, via the African Travel and Tourism Association: Cape Town International handled 11,113,490 passengers in 2025, an exact match with the bulletin figure.
- Office National des Aeroports (ONDA), via Xinhua: Moroccan airports handled a record 36.3 million passengers in 2025, with Casablanca above 11 million and Marrakesh above 10 million.
- Egypt Ministry of Civil Aviation, via Ahram Online: Cairo's preliminary 2025 figure of 30.94 million passengers, announced December 25, 2025.
- Middle East Observer: Cairo consolidates Africa aviation lead, September 19, 2026, reporting a 31.29 million figure for Cairo in 2025.
- Kenya Airports Authority and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, via the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport page: Kenyan sources put Nairobi's 2025 figure between 8.6 and 8.9 million.
- Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, via Punch: Nigeria handled 18.8 million passengers in 2025, the fourth-largest aviation market in Africa.
- African Exponent: Top 10 Busiest Airports in Africa in 2025 (April 30, 2025), the previous edition this ranking supersedes.
Methodology
We ranked airports by total passengers handled in calendar year 2025: arrivals plus departures plus transit passengers. The primary source is the Air Transport Data Bulletin of April 2026 from France Aviation Civile Services, which gives one consistent series for all 12 airports named in this article. The as-of date is calendar year 2025, the latest full year available. It is stated here, in the Key Facts and in the standfirst.
Verification varies by airport, and we state it plainly. Only Cape Town is exactly double-verified: Airports Company South Africa reports 11,113,490, the same figure to the passenger. Casablanca, Marrakesh, Sharm el-Sheikh and Algiers are confirmed approximately by operator releases, which give rounded totals or thresholds rather than exact figures. OR Tambo and Hurghada are confirmed by fiscal-year brackets, not calendar years: Airports Company South Africa reports on April to March, and Egypt reports on July to June. The exact 2025 figures for Addis Ababa, Lagos and Tunis rest on the bulletin alone; no independent exact second source was found for them.
Three figures circulate for Cairo in 2025. The ministry's 30.94 million was announced on December 25, 2025, before the year had ended, so it is preliminary. The bulletin figure of 31,137,557 is the later finalised count, and it is the figure in the table. A third figure of 31.29 million differs by 0.49 percent, most likely because transit passengers are counted differently. Cairo ranks first under any of the three figures.
Nairobi is the one top-10 figure where sources disagree by more than a rounding margin. Kenyan sources put 2025 at 8.6 to 8.9 million, against the bulletin's 8,996,281, probably because transit passengers are counted differently. Nairobi holds tenth place under every figure in that range, since Lagos is 1.53 million behind.
Two figures in the table were corrected before publication. The bulletin's 2024 table gives Addis Ababa 11,799,224 passengers in 2024, but that does not reproduce its own stated growth of 8.6 percent. The implied 2024 base is about 12.09 million, confirmed by Bole's own published 2024 figure of 12,099,516, so the table uses 12,099,516. The Change column is computed from the 2024 and 2025 figures shown, so every percentage in it reproduces exactly. The bulletin states slightly different changes for four airports (Casablanca 9.3, Hurghada 18.5, Marrakesh 10.1, Nairobi 2.9 percent) because its 2024 base figures were revised after first publication.
The closest races are disclosed, not smoothed over. Casablanca beats Hurghada by 30,755 passengers. Marrakesh beats Algiers by 56,057. Sharm el-Sheikh beats Nairobi by 50,409. Lagos beats Tunis by 43,720. These are photo finishes inside one dataset, and the order is as the bulletin reports it.
Airports in the Spanish Canary Islands are excluded. They sit in ACI Europe, not ACI Africa, and serve mainly European holiday traffic. This ranking covers airports in African countries only. Related reading: our largest economies in Africa ranking and our richest cities in Africa ranking.
This ranking supersedes the April 2025 edition, which ranked airports on OAG scheduled seats rather than passengers actually handled, gave no calendar year for its figures, and ordered Casablanca (8.68 million) below Lagos (8.24 million) despite the higher figure. The 2026 edition ranks on passengers handled in calendar 2025, with a stated definition and a source for every figure.
Feature image: Cairo International Airport Terminal 3. Photo: Alensha, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
