Global air passenger demand reaches new heights in post-pandemic recovery

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Global air passenger demand reaches new heights in post-pandemic recovery

Research

Doug Lavin Vice President, Member and External Relations North America | International Air Transport Association - IATA

By Sky Industry News

Jan 30, 2025

Total air passenger traffic reached unprecedented levels in 2024, with a 10.4% increase in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) compared to the previous year. This figure surpasses pre-pandemic levels by 3.8%. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), grew by 8.7%, and the overall load factor achieved a record high of 83.5%.

International traffic rose by 13.6% from 2023, with capacity increasing by 12.8%. Domestic traffic saw a rise of 5.7%, while capacity expanded by 2.5%. December marked a strong end to the year, with demand up by 8.6% year-on-year and capacity growing by 5.6%.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, stated: “2024 made it absolutely clear that people want to travel. With 10.4% demand growth, travel reached record numbers domestically and internationally." He highlighted that airlines met this demand with efficiency despite supply chain constraints.

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Looking ahead to 2025, Walsh noted an expected moderated growth rate of about 8%, aligning more closely with historical averages. He emphasized the need for continued safety efforts following a recent accident in Washington and reiterated airlines' commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Walsh pointed out that less than 0.5% of fuel needs were met with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in 2024 due to limited supply and high costs: "Governments could fortify their national energy security and unblock this problem by prioritizing renewable fuel production from which SAF is derived."

The report also detailed regional performance: Asia-Pacific led international traffic growth at a rate of 26%, while European carriers saw an increase of nearly 10%. North American carriers reported a rise of almost seven percent.

In domestic markets, China stood out with a significant increase of over twelve percent in RPKs from the previous year.