South Africa’s busiest domestic air route is giving some of the world’s best-known connections a run for their money. The Cape Town–Johannesburg route carried 3.4 million passengers in 2025, highlighting the strong demand for travel between two of the country’s biggest tourism and business hubs.
South African Airways plane at Cape Town International Airport/By: Clay10/Getty Images
According to figures from the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) World Air Transport Statistics 2025 report, the route was Africa’s busiest airport connection, with passenger numbers exceeding those recorded on the New York–Los Angeles route in the United States.
For travellers, the figures underline just how important the connection is for exploring South Africa. Johannesburg serves as a major gateway for business travel and onward journeys, while Cape Town draws visitors with its beaches, mountain scenery, winelands and coastal attractions.
Asia dominates the world’s busiest air routes
Despite its strong performance, the Cape Town–Johannesburg route remains well behind the world’s busiest airport connection: Jeju–Seoul Gimpo in South Korea, which carried 13.3 million passengers in 2025.
Asia-Pacific dominated the global rankings, accounting for nine of the 10 busiest airport pairs. The remaining route connected Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
Elsewhere, Bogotá–Medellín was Latin America’s busiest connection, carrying 3.5 million passengers, while Barcelona–Palma de Mallorca led in Europe with 2.1 million.
The world’s biggest passenger markets
The IATA report also highlighted the scale of international and domestic air travel across major markets. The United States remained the world’s largest passenger market in 2025, recording 890.1 million arriving and departing passengers, up 1.6% from 2024.
China ranked second with 776.1 million passengers, representing 4.8% growth. The United Kingdom recorded 269.7 million passengers, up 3.4%, while Spain reached 252.7 million, an increase of 5%.
For South Africa, the figures offer a reminder of the Cape Town–Johannesburg route’s importance in connecting travellers with the country’s leading urban and leisure destinations.
Source: IOL, reporting on the International Air Transport Association’s World Air Transport Statistics 2025
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