Air Algérie Targets Nearly 10 Million Passengers in 2026 as Ambitious Transformation Drive Gains Momentum

At its Annual Summit 2026, held at its central headquarters “Said Aït-Messaoudene,” the airline declared its intention to surpass 9.8 million passengers—an additional one million travellers compared to 2025—reflecting what executives described as a decisive phase in Air Algérie’s structural transformation. The summit, convened under the banner “Reinventing the Customer Experience,” presented data showing that the airline transported 8.8 million passengers in 2025, marking an 11 percent increase over 2024 and signalling a recovery trajectory shaped by renewed operational discipline and targeted market expansion.

To achieve its 2026 ambitions, Air Algérie is pairing aggressive route development—particularly towards high-potential international markets—with a deep overhaul of service quality, digital platforms, and passenger engagement tools. Executives highlighted the rollout of new IT systems, including RefX and CRM solutions, designed to streamline booking processes, enhance customer loyalty programmes, and expand ancillary services, all within a broader push to modernise the airline’s commercial architecture.

The summit also revealed that 2025 represented a watershed year in the airline’s development strategy, marked by the creation of a new domestic subsidiary dedicated to internal routes and the initiation of the reception process for a new wide-body fleet—moves intended to expand capacity, optimise scheduling, and restore competitiveness across both regional and long-haul markets. In parallel, Air Algérie has advanced its transition towards a holding structure, launching its subsidiary GO (Ground Operations) to professionalise and modernise airport handling services.

The gathering, attended by CEO Hamza Benhamouda and senior officials from Algeria’s civil aviation authority, provided a platform to review performance metrics, assess operational challenges, and chart corrective measures to improve profitability, cost optimisation, and revenue recovery mechanisms. Panels and workshops focused on strengthening overseas operations, modernising planning systems, and tightening financial oversight in a sector where efficiency margins are razor-thin and competition relentless.

The airline’s leadership framed these initiatives as more than corporate ambition; they are part of a broader national strategy to reinforce Algeria’s connectivity, facilitate mobility for the diaspora, and expand economic linkages with global markets.