Air passenger demand reaches record levels in September

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, commented on these developments: “The year’s peak travel season ended with demand at an all-time high. This is good news not just for passengers but also for the global economy." He noted potential challenges: "We will soon face a capacity crunch in some regions which threatens to curtail these economic and social benefits."

Regional analysis showed that Asia-Pacific airlines experienced an impressive year-on-year demand increase of 18.5%, while European carriers reported a growth of 7.6%. Middle Eastern carriers saw a moderate rise of 4.4% in demand, and North American airlines had a slight increase of 0.5%.

In domestic markets, China reported the most significant growth with a RPK increase of 7.7%. India followed closely with a rise of 6.5%. Other regions like Australia and Brazil also showed positive trends.

IATA statistics cover both international and domestic scheduled air traffic for member and non-member airlines globally.