International air travel saw a 12.4 pc increase in demand, with a capacity rise of 8.7 pc
In January 2025, domestic air travel saw its highest growth globally, with India leading at a 17.1 pc increase in passenger demand compared to the previous year says a report by International Air Transport Association (IATA), a grouping of global airlines.
In a press statement, IATA says that growth came despite operational challenges, including engine issues affecting some carriers.
It adds that load factors in India, along with Japan and China, contributed to a record-high 81.2 pc for domestic flights in January. China’s 10 pc growth was driven by increased travel during the Lunar New Year.
IATA says that total global passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger km (RPK), grew by 10 pc compared to January 2024. It adds that capacity, measured in available seat km (ASK), rose by 7.1 pc. The overall load factor reached 82.1 pc, setting a new record for January.
The statement adds that international air travel saw a 12.4 pc increase in demand, with a capacity rise of 8.7 pc while as the load factor reached 82.6 pc, also marking a record high for January. It adds that domestic demand rose by 6.1 pc, with a capacity increase of 4.5 pc year-on-year.
IATA says that Asia-Pacific airlines recorded the highest growth in international demand at 21.8 pc, with capacity increasing by 16.5 pc and the load factor in the region reached 86.7 pc.
It adds that European carriers saw an 8.6 pc rise in demand, with a 6.2 pc increase in capacity and the load factor stood at 79.2 pc while as Middle Eastern airlines registered a 9.6 pc increase in demand, with capacity growing by 4.4 pc and the load factor in the region was 83.8 pc, supported by the recovery of traffic in Israel and strong Gulf carrier performance.
According to IATA, North American carriers experienced a 3.8 pc increase in demand, with a 0.6 pc rise in capacity and the load factor reached 81.8 pc while as Latin American airlines recorded a 12.9 pc rise in demand, though capacity grew by 15.5 pc, resulting in a load factor decline to 84.3 pc.
The statement adds that African airlines also saw a 14.9 pc increase in demand, with capacity up by 11.2 pc and the load factor improved to 75.9 pc.
Willie Walsh
It adds that the data indicates strong passenger demand across all regions, with Asia-Pacific leading in international traffic growth and India among the key contributors to the rise in domestic travel.
“We have seen a notable acceleration in demand this January, with a particularly strong performance by carriers based in the Asia-Pacific region. The record high load factors that accompany this strong demand are yet another reminder of the persistent supply chain issues in the aerospace sector,” says Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
“The strong growth in demand aligns with the results of our latest passenger survey (November 2024) in which 94 pc of travellers indicted that they planned to travel as much or more in the coming 12 months than they did in the past year. Airlines are doing a good job of accommodating growing demand amid fleet and infrastructure constraints with satisfaction levels above 95 pc, and nearly 80 pc of travellers agreeing that air travel is good value for money. Choice is an important component of this satisfaction. Some 70 pc prefer to pay the lowest fare and customise the additional services they need. It is important for regulators to clearly understand that the majority of travellers do not want to pay automatically for services they do not need,” Walsh adds.
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