Tunisia has secured the 8th position in the African aviation market, with 720,600 seats programmed for October 2026, according to data from the International Air Transport Observatory (OAG). This represents a 6.9% increase from the same period last year, with 46,400 additional seats. The country's aviation market is experiencing growth, contributing to the overall expansion of the African air transport market.
The African aviation market is expected to have 26.6 million seats programmed for October 2026, representing an 8.8% increase from the same period in 2025. The international capacity accounts for 77% of the total, with 20.4 million seats, while the domestic capacity reaches 6.13 million seats, a 11.9% increase from last year. Egypt leads the market with 3.216 million seats, followed by South Africa and Morocco.
In the North African region, Tunisia is ranked behind Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. Morocco has a significantly larger market, with 2.181 million seats programmed for October 2026, approximately three times that of Tunisia. Algeria has 1.061 million seats, compared to Tunisia's 720,600. The three Maghreb countries combined have around 3.96 million seats programmed for October 2026.
The OAG report highlights that Tunisia's growth rate of 6.9% is lower than that of Morocco (11%), Algeria (9.1%), and Tanzania (8.2%). However, it is higher than that of Ethiopia (3.9%) and South Africa (0.8%). Nigeria has the highest growth rate among the top 10 African markets, with a 44.5% increase, equivalent to 414,900 additional seats.
The OAG ranking is based on programmed capacity, not the actual number of passengers transported or the financial performance of airlines. The data is sourced from the OAG Schedules Analyser, which covers the schedules and capacities of hundreds of airlines. Ethiopian Airlines leads the airline rankings, with 2.069.965 seats programmed for October 2026, a 6% increase from last year.
The top 10 airlines in Africa include Safair, Egyptair, Royal Air Maroc, and Air Algérie. Air Algérie ranks 5th with 757.522 seats, a 12.4% increase from last year. Tunisair does not feature in the top 10 airline rankings, but Tunisia's market position is distinct from the airline rankings.
In terms of airport capacity, Tunis-Carthage airport does not rank among the top 10 African airports for October 2026. The Cairo airport leads with 1.78 million seats, followed by Addis-Abeba and Johannesburg. The African air transport market continues to grow, with a 8.8% increase in programmed seats for October 2026.
Key points
- Tunisia ranks 8th in African aviation market with 720,600 seats programmed for October 2026
- African aviation market to have 26.6 million seats programmed for October 2026
- Ethiopian Airlines leads airline rankings with 2.069.965 seats programmed for October 2026
