African aviation: Casablanca and Marrakech rank among top 10 airports

Wednesday 23 September 2026 - 21:00

Morocco is strengthening its position as a major aviation hub in Africa, with two of its busiest airports ranking among the continent’s ten largest in terms of available seat capacity.

Data released by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in September 2026 show that Casablanca Mohammed V and Marrakech-Ménara remained prominent within Africa’s air transport network in August. Morocco was the only African country to have two airports represented in the top 10.

Casablanca maintains a leading position

Casablanca Mohammed V Airport ranked fourth across the continent, with 803,579 seats recorded during August 2026. The figure places the Moroccan economic capital behind three major African aviation centers.

Cairo International Airport led the ranking with 1,850,926 seats, followed by Addis Ababa with 1,251,909 and Johannesburg with 1,148,652.

Marrakech-Ménara Airport also secured a place among Africa’s leading airports, ranking tenth with 480,112 seats. Its presence alongside Casablanca highlights the growing importance of Morocco’s tourism and business gateways in the continent’s aviation landscape.

Marrakech strengthens Morocco’s aviation footprint

The latest figures also build on Morocco’s strong performance in previous AFRAA assessments.

In July 2025, Casablanca Mohammed V was already ranked fourth among the continent’s principal airports, accounting for 8.9% of seat capacity in the relevant African airport group. Marrakech-Ménara stood in eighth position, representing 6.6%.

The movement in the rankings illustrates the changing distribution of capacity across Africa while confirming the continued relevance of Morocco’s two major international airports.

African carriers face a changing competitive landscape

Beyond individual airports, AFRAA’s figures point to an evolving balance between African and non-African airlines.

In August 2026, African carriers accounted for 47.2% of international seat capacity, while airlines based outside the continent represented 52.8%. The picture was markedly different for intercontinental services, where African operators accounted for 62.4% of capacity compared with 37.6% for non-African carriers.

The comparison with April 2025 shows how rapidly the market structure can change. At that time, African airlines represented 52.4% of international capacity when both regional and intercontinental operations were included, against 47.6% for non-African operators. On intercontinental routes specifically, however, African carriers held only 36.3% of capacity, compared with 63.7% for their international competitors.

North Africa remains the continent’s largest aviation region

Regional figures further underline the strategic weight of North Africa.

In August 2026, North African airports accounted for 41.9% of total seat capacity across the continent. East Africa followed with 22.7%, while Southern Africa represented 18.3%. Central and West Africa together accounted for 17.1%.

The distribution was broadly similar in 2025, when North Africa represented 40.7% of continental capacity, compared with 23% for East Africa, 18.9% for Southern Africa and 17.4% for Central and West Africa.

For Morocco, the continued presence of Casablanca and Marrakech among Africa’s busiest airports reflects the country’s expanding role in regional connectivity, supported by both business traffic and international tourism.

As African aviation continues to develop, airport capacity is increasingly becoming an indicator of a country’s ability to connect markets, attract visitors and strengthen its position within international air transport networks.