Tunis-Carthage Secures 8th Position Among African Airports
Tunis-Carthage Airport has achieved an impressive milestone by ranking 8th among African airports in terms of seat capacity as of August 2026, offering a total of 526,444 available seats. This ranking, released by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) on September 15, positions the Tunisian airport just behind Algiers and Casablanca, while surpassing Marrakech and Lagos. The top of the list is led by Cairo, boasting a remarkable 1.85 million seats, followed closely by Addis Ababa and Johannesburg.
Competitive Landscape in North African Aviation
When examining the competitive landscape within the Maghreb region, the statistics speak volumes. Casablanca holds the 4th place with 803,579 seats, far surpassing Tunis-Carthage by a margin of 277,135 seats. Algiers follows in 5th place, achieving 676,242 seats, which leaves a gap of 149,798 seats from Tunis-Carthage. Nonetheless, Tunis-Carthage maintains a lead over Marrakech-Ménara, which ranks 10th with 480,112 seats, providing a buffer of 46,332 seats. Additionally, it outperforms Lagos, which stands at 9th place with a total of 483,103 seats.
The recent ranking emerges amidst a broader trend of growth in African air travel capacity. In August, the overall seat capacity across the continent saw an increase of 8.8% year-on-year, with intra-African routes witnessing a significant surge of 10.5%. However, it is crucial to differentiate between available capacity and actual passenger traffic. The AFRAA notes that in July, available seat-kilometers (ASK) surged by 9% year-on-year, while revenue passenger-kilometers (RPK) only rose by 5.8%. This indicates that the growth in capacity is outpacing actual traffic.
This distinction is vital for understanding the significance of Tunis-Carthage's 8th place ranking, as it reflects the scheduled capacity planned by airlines rather than the actual passenger traffic passing through the airport.
Furthermore, the position of Tunis-Carthage highlights the importance of North Africa in the continental air transport landscape. The region accounted for 41.9% of the total seat capacity in Africa as of August, outperforming East Africa (22.7%) and Southern Africa (18.3%). With five airports in the Top 10—Cairo, Casablanca, Algiers, Tunis-Carthage, and Marrakech—North Africa plays a significant role in the continent's air travel offerings. For Tunis-Carthage, this ranking solidifies its status among Africa's major airport hubs, although it still faces considerable competition from Casablanca and Algiers, while maintaining a higher capacity than Marrakech.
As reported by webdo.tn.
