The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that global passenger demand in 2024 reached unprecedented levels, surpassing figures from 2019. The organization highlighted a 10.4% increase in full-year traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), compared to 2023, and a 3.8% rise over the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Capacity, as measured by available seat kilometers (ASK), saw an 8.7% year-on-year increase, with the average load factor reaching a record high of 83.5%. International traffic grew by 13.6%, while domestic traffic rose by 5.7%.
December capped off the year strongly with RPKs and ASKs increasing by 8.6% and 5.5%, respectively, leading to record load factors of 84%.
In the US domestic market, which holds a significant share of net RPKs at 14.4%, both demand and capacity grew by around 3%. China experienced notable growth in RPKs at 12.3%, despite only adding slightly more capacity.
Internationally, North America reported a traffic rise of 14.4% but saw a minor decrease in average load factors.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, remarked on the robust travel demand: “Airlines met that strong demand with record efficiency.” He noted that the aviation industry’s growth impacts societies and economies positively but also acknowledged challenges such as safety concerns following an incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Walsh addressed sustainability goals for airlines aiming for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, pointing out that only a small fraction of fuel needs were met with sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in 2024 due to limited supply and high costs.
“SAF is in short supply and costs must come down,” he said, suggesting government support for renewable energy production could alleviate this issue.
Looking ahead to 2025, Walsh anticipated continued travel demand growth at a moderated pace aligned with historical averages.
