Few things strike anxiety into the heart of a traveller more than a packed airport terminal; it usually means long security lines, delays, and cancellations. So, where are the most packed airports in Africa?
S Money’s travel money experts investigated the floor size of passenger terminals at 128 of the world’s busiest airports in a new report.
They then compared this to the average daily passenger numbers at each airport to identify the world’s busiest airports.
Here are the busiest airports in Africa:
1. Cape Town International Airport, South Africa
Research shows that Africa’s best airport is also its busiest. Skytrax awarded Cape Town International the ‘Best Airport in Africa’ for the eighth consecutive year.
However, this airport handles 4.13 passengers per 10 square meters more than any other airport on the continent.
It is probably very rowdy because a lot of tourists visit South Africa, and since 2020, the South African aviation industry has encountered numerous obstacles, ranging from the national carrier South African Airways’ insolvency and governmental rescue to fuel supply issues affecting flights into and out of Cape Town.
2. Jomo Kenyatta International, Kenya
Jomo Kenyatta International, located in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is the second-most congested airport in Africa, with a staggering 4.13 passengers per 10 square meters based on their data. Despite a fire that destroyed its terminal buildings in 2013, the airport has recovered, quadrupling its capacity to 26.5 million passengers.
3. Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa
This airport has 3.30 people per 10 square meters every day.
4. Murtala Muhammed Airport, Nigeria
It turns out that Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos is Africa’s fourth busiest airport with an average of 3.12 daily passengers per 10 square meters (m2).
5. O.R. Tambo International Airport, South Africa
This airport averages 2.90 daily passengers per square meter.
6. Tunis Carthage International Airport, Tunisia
This airport averages 2.71 people per 10-square meter
7. Mohammed V International Airport, Morocco
There are 2.23 daily passengers in every 10 square meters at Mohammed V International Airport.
8. King Shaka International Airport, South Africa
It gets less rowdy here, with 1.48 people per 10 square meters.
9. Houari Boumediene International Airport, Algeria
There is a lot of room at this airport in Algeria, with 0.89 passengers per 10 square meters.
10. Cairo International Airport, Egypt
Even though Egypt is one of the most visited countries in Africa, its airport is one of the least congested. It has about 0.86 passengers per 10-square meter.
What’s the busiest airport in the world? El Dorado International Airport in Colombia is the world’s busiest airport, with 14.53 daily passengers per 10 square meters of terminal space.
