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Passenger numbers grow as international demand surges

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Passenger numbers grow as international demand surges
Research
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Marie Owens Thomsen Senior Vice President Sustainability & Chief Economist | International Air Transport Association - IATA

Total demand in April 2025, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), increased by 8.0% compared to the same month last year. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), rose by 6.5% year-on-year, with a load factor of 83.6%, marking an increase of 1.1 percentage points from April 2024.

International travel demand saw a significant rise of 10.8% compared to April 2024, with capacity up by 8.5% and a record load factor for April at 84.1%. Domestic demand also grew by 3.3%, with capacity increasing by 3.1% and a load factor of 82.7%.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, commented on the growth: “April was a positive month for travel. Growth strengthened, especially for international demand which saw record load factors for the month." He noted the encouraging return of growth in the transatlantic market but pointed out some concerns: "There are some signs of fragility of consumer and business confidence with continued weakness in the US domestic market and a sharp fall in North American premium class travel."

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Walsh highlighted India's domestic growth during the IATA Annual General Meeting in New Delhi: “As we gather in New Delhi, India for the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit, it is notable that Indian domestic growth is running at over 10%. The development of India’s air connectivity in recent years has been nothing short of phenomenal.”

Regionally, Africa experienced a resurgence with RPK growth at 14.2%, while Asia Pacific airlines reported a robust increase of 10.6%. Europe saw an RPK rise of 8.3%, Latin America increased by 10.9%, and Middle Eastern carriers had an RPK boost of 11.3%. North America showed modest growth at just 1.6%.

In terms of international markets, all regions recorded increases except Latin America where there was a slight decrease in load factors despite overall RPK growth.

Domestically, markets like Brazil and India expanded significantly with double-digit RPK increases while the US market contracted slightly for the third consecutive month.

The detailed breakdown shows varying performances across different regions and highlights areas where further attention may be needed to sustain or enhance growth.

Organizations Included in this History
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