The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a significant increase in air travel demand for April 2024. Compared to April 2023, global passenger traffic increased by 11 percent, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs). This positive trend comes as the sector enters the peak northern summer travel season. Growth was driven by strong international demand, which increased 15.8 percent year-on-year. This increase was closely matched by a 14.8 percent increase in seat capacity, resulting in a healthy occupancy rate of 82.2 percent. Domestic traffic also grew, albeit at a slower pace of 4 percent, with an occupancy rate of 82.6 percent.
“Passenger demand has been growing for 36 months in a row. As we enter the northern summer season, there is every reason to be optimistic about a strong summer with airlines offering a wide range of travel options. 97 percent of passengers surveyed in our recent survey said they were satisfied with their last flight. Every part of the travel value chain must be focused on sustaining this,” said Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA.
The IATA Passenger Survey also found that 88 percent agree with the statement that ‘air travel makes my life better’. “That is an important motivation when our members come together next week for the IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Dubai. This strong support for the power of air connectivity to transform lives and boost the economy brings with it a challenge that will also remain in the minds of all present. It is critical that we achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 so that people can continue to rely on all the benefits of air travel,” said Walsh.
Regional and domestic market
IATA also reports strong growth internationally passenger demand for April 2024, with all regions experiencing significant increases compared to April 2023. The Asia Pacific region leads with a staggering 32.1 percent increase in demand, followed by Latin America 14.5 percent, Africa 15.5 percent and the Middle East 14.2 percent and Europe 10.1 percent.
Asia-Pacific airlines are experiencing a boom, with demand outpacing capacity growth. Their load factor, a measure of seat occupancy, reached a commendable 83.7 percent. This growth is fueled by strong traffic flows from the Middle East and Africa to the region.
Other regions also reported positive growth:
• Middle East: demand increased by 14.2 percent, the occupancy rate increased by 3.0 percentage points to 79.3 percent.
• Latin America: Demand increased by 14.5 percent, with the highest occupancy rate of 84.1 percent of all regions.
• Africa: Demand increased by 15.5 percent, with the occupancy rate increasing to 73.0 percent.
• North America: demand grew by 6.5 percent, but the occupancy rate fell slightly to 81.0 percent.
Domestic travel saw a more muted increase, with Chinese growth slowing after a holiday rush. Japan’s broadly flat performance reflects the end of the budget year and school holidays. However, IATA remains optimistic about the overall domestic travel trend.
