Nigeria’s biggest airline adds 125,400 seats in one year, recording the fastest capacity growth among Africa’s leading carriers….
Air Peace has returned to Africa’s top 10 airlines by scheduled seat capacity, recording the fastest growth among the continent’s leading carriers as its available seats surged by 54.7 percent year-on-year.
The Nigerian airline scheduled 354,804 seats in September 2026, compared with 229,412 seats in the same month last year, according to data from aviation analytics firm OAG.
The increase represents an additional 125,400 seats within a year and places Air Peace 10th among Africa’s airlines by scheduled capacity for the month.
The latest ranking marks a return to the top 10 for Nigeria’s largest airline after it dropped out of the list in August.
Air Peace had previously occupied the 10th position in July, with 360,200 scheduled seats, before Kenya Airways moved ahead of the Nigerian carrier the following month.
In September, however, Air Peace regained its position, displacing Kenya Airways from the top 10.
OAG described Air Peace as the fastest-growing airline among the continent’s top 10 carriers, with its 54.7 percent year-on-year capacity increase translating into 125,400 additional seats.
Ethiopian Airlines retained its position as Africa’s largest airline by scheduled seat capacity, with 2,087,386 seats during the month.
Safair ranked second with 1,076,166 seats, while EgyptAir occupied third place with 890,773 seats.
Air Algerie followed in fourth position with 756,627 seats.
Other airlines in the ranking included Airlink, which recorded 538,052 scheduled seats, Ryanair with 472,839 and Emirates with 427,100 seats.
Air Cairo entered the top 10 in ninth position after scheduling 360,502 seats in September.
Royal Air Maroc also recorded strong growth during the period, increasing its scheduled capacity by 19.2 percent, equivalent to approximately 127,800 additional seats compared with September 2025.
Beyond the individual airline rankings, OAG’s data points to continued expansion in Africa’s aviation market.
Total scheduled airline capacity across the continent rose by 9.4 percent year-on-year to 25.8 million seats in September 2026.
International services accounted for 78 percent of the continent’s total scheduled capacity, increasing by 8.9 percent compared with the same period in 2025.
Domestic capacity recorded an even stronger increase, growing by 11.6 percent year-on-year.
Mainline airlines continued to dominate the market, accounting for 80 percent of Africa’s total scheduled capacity, although their capacity itself increased by 8.9 percent over the year.
Low-cost carriers also expanded their presence, recording an 11.5 percent increase in scheduled capacity to 5.3 million seats in September.
For Air Peace, the latest figures come after a period of rapid fleet and network expansion.
The airline has added several aircraft to its fleet over the past year as it works to increase capacity across domestic, regional and international routes.
Air Peace took delivery of a Boeing 737-700 under a dry lease arrangement in November 2025. It subsequently added a Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft in May 2026 and received its first Embraer 190 aircraft in June.
The additional aircraft have supported the airline’s efforts to expand its operations and accommodate growing passenger demand.
Air Peace is not the only Nigerian carrier increasing its fleet. United Nigeria Airlines has also expanded its operations with the acquisition of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
The expansion comes as the Nigerian aviation industry continues to grapple with the need for more aircraft to meet rising demand and ease capacity constraints.
In May, the Federal Government approved the establishment of the Nigeria Aircraft Leasing Company, a move aimed at improving local airlines’ access to aircraft.
The proposed company is expected to provide a sovereign-backed leasing structure through which Nigerian airlines can acquire or lease aircraft more easily, potentially reducing some of the operational difficulties associated with fleet shortages.
It is expected to operate as a Special Purpose Vehicle funded and managed by private investors, while receiving strategic backing from the government.
With Air Peace now back among Africa’s 10 largest airlines by scheduled capacity and recording the fastest growth rate in the group, the latest figures underscore the rapid expansion of Nigeria’s biggest carrier and the broader growth of the continent’s aviation market.
