The skies may be friendly, but they’re also crowded.
The International Air Transport Association this week released figures showing full-year traffic for 2024 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers) was up a solid 10.4% over 2023 levels. The 2024 figures also were 3.8% above pre-COVID (2019) levels.
The overall load factor for world airlines reached 83.5%, a record for full-year traffic.
“2024 made it absolutely clear that people want to travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “With 10.4% demand growth, travel reached record numbers domestically and internationally.”
Walsh said airlines met that strong demand with record efficiency.
“On average, 83.5% of all seats on offer were filled—a new record high, partially attributable to the supply chain constraints that limited capacity growth. Aviation growth reverberates across societies and economies at all levels through jobs, market development, trade, innovation, exploration, and much more.
“Looking to 2025, there is every indication that demand for travel will continue to grow, albeit at a moderated pace of 8.0% that is more aligned with historical averages,” Walsh said.
For 2024, IATA said international full-year traffic increased 13.6% compared to 2023, and capacity rose 12.8%. Domestic full-year traffic for 2024 rose 5.7% compared to the prior year, while capacity expanded by 2.5%.
North American carriers reported a 6.8% annual traffic rise in 2024 compared to 2023. Capacity increased 7.4%, and load factor fell -0.5 percentage points to 84.2%. December 2024 traffic rose 5.1% compared to the year-ago period.
Asia-Pacific airlines posted a 26.0% rise in full year international 2024 traffic compared to 2023, maintaining the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions. Capacity rose 24.7%.
