Passenger air travel sees continued growth with rising load factors

Walsh also highlighted concerns regarding potential taxes on passengers as a means to reduce emissions: "Politicians thinking of trying to tax passengers off planes...would do well to note this." He argued that reducing passenger numbers through taxation might not lead to lower emissions if flights continue with fewer travelers.

In terms of regional performance, Asia-Pacific airlines experienced a notable increase of 17.5% in demand year-on-year, while European carriers recorded an 8.7% rise. North American carriers saw a modest increase of 3.2%, whereas Middle Eastern carriers had a smaller gain of 2.2%. Latin American airlines enjoyed a substantial boost with a 10.9% rise in demand.

Domestic markets displayed varied results; notably, Chinese domestic travel increased significantly by using wide-body aircraft more extensively.

IATA's data collection combines direct airline reporting with estimates from sources like FlightRadar24 and remains subject to revision.