The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for May 2024 global passenger demand, revealing a 10.7% increase in total demand compared to May 2023. Capacity rose by 8.5% year-on-year, and the load factor reached a record high of 83.4%, up 1.7 percentage points from the previous year.
International demand saw a significant rise of 14.6% compared to May 2023, with capacity increasing by 14.1%. The load factor for international flights improved to 82.8%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points year-on-year. Domestic demand grew by 4.7%, with a slight capacity increase of 0.1%. The domestic load factor was recorded at 84.5%, up by 3.8 percentage points from May 2023.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, stated, "Strong demand for travel continues with airlines posting a 10.7% year-on-year increase in travel for May." He highlighted that airlines filled a record-breaking 83.4% of their seats in May and noted the challenges faced by air navigation service providers (ANSPs), especially in Europe and the US, where significant delays were reported.