Passenger arrivals at South African airports have recorded steady growth, with data from Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) showing an increase of 13.1% month-on-month and 8.5% year-on-year in March.
The growth is slightly higher than the overall 7.8% increase recorded in 2025, signalling continued recovery in the aviation sector.
ACSA categorises arrivals into international, regional, domestic and unscheduled segments, with domestic travel accounting for the largest share. In March, domestic arrivals made up roughly two-thirds of total passenger traffic and rose by 14.8% month-on-month and 9.9% year-on-year.
The increase was partly influenced by the longer calendar month and the start of the Easter travel period, which boosted local travel demand.
International arrivals, however, showed slower growth, increasing by 4.9% year-on-year and 8.2% month-on-month. The slowdown has been linked to global travel disruptions, particularly in the Middle East, where key transit hubs such as Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai have been affected by conflict-related airspace restrictions.
Regional travel remained a strong performer, with arrivals rising by 10.8% year-on-year and 23.9% month-on-month. Growth has been supported by improving economic conditions in neighbouring countries, including Angola and Namibia.
Despite the positive trend, overall passenger volumes have not yet fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In 2025, total arrivals reached just over 20 million, representing 94.1% of 2019 levels.
Domestic travel remains slightly below pre-pandemic figures at 93.2%, while international and regional arrivals have recovered to 96.0% and 96.7% respectively. Unscheduled arrivals declined by 3.5% last year.
Looking ahead, industry body International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that global aviation continues to face operational challenges. These include airspace closures, flight rerouting and fuel supply constraints, all of which are disrupting airline schedules.
Even if geopolitical tensions ease, IATA cautions that restoring normal flight operations will take time, as airlines work to reposition aircraft, rebuild schedules and stabilise supply chains.
The outlook suggests gradual recovery will continue, though external pressures may limit the pace of growth in the months ahead.
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