The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its global passenger demand data for October 2024. The report highlights continued growth in passenger demand across the aviation sector, along with steady increases in load factors.
Increase in Global Passenger Demand
Total passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), rose by 7.1% compared to October 2023. Capacity increased by 6.1%, while the load factor climbed to 83.9%.
Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, emphasized the sector’s growing efficiency, stating, “Load factors have risen from 67% in the 1990s to over 83% today. Policies such as taxing passengers to reduce emissions risk hindering the progress of the industry.”
Regional Performance
- Europe: Achieved the highest load factor at 85.7%, with an 8.7% increase in passenger demand.
- Asia-Pacific: Recorded the largest demand growth at 17.5%, with a load factor of 82.9%.
- Africa: Posted a 10.4% rise in demand, with a load factor increasing to 73.2%.
- North America: Showed stable growth with a 3.2% rise in demand.
- Middle East: Saw a 2.2% increase in demand, but the load factor fell to 80.2%.
- Latin America: Demonstrated robust growth with a 10.9% increase in demand.
Domestic Markets
China experienced the strongest domestic demand growth at 9.7%, while the U.S. saw a 1.2% decline. Significant increases in domestic passenger demand were also recorded in Brazil and India.
