It official, 2024 was a record-breaking year for the air travel industry, shows the latest IATA data with air travel reaching record numbers domestically and internationally.
And, looking ahead in 2025, the association’s director general Willie Walsh says there’s every indication that demand for travel will continue to grow. For the full 2024 year, the IATA data shows traffic, measured in revenue passenger kms, rose 10.4% year-onyear and was up 3.8% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Total capacity was also up 8.7%, whilst overall load factor reached a record 83.5 for the full-year traffic, partially attributable to the supply chain constraints that limited capacity growth. Walsh says 2024 made it ‘absolutely clear’ that people want to travel, adding that airlines met that strong demand with record efficiency. International full-year traffic in 2024 was up 13.6% compared to 2023, and capacity rose 12.8%, with domestic also growing, albeit smaller, at 5.7% and 2.5%, respectively.
The data for Dec alone proves a strong end to the year, with overall demand rising 8.6% year-on-year, and capacity growing by 5.6%. Asia-Pacific airlines posted a 26% rise in full year international 2024 traffic, compared to 2023, while Latin American airlines rose 14.4%, African airlines 13.2%, European carriers 9.7%, Middle Eastern airlines 9.4% and North American carriers a 6.8% rise.
. . . Outlook
Walsh predicts there will be further growth for 2025, albeit at a moderated pace of 8% that he says is more aligned with historical averages. As reported on Fri, in the wake of the tragic Washington DC mid-air
collision Walsh highlighted the importance of safety. “We will never cease our work to make aviation ever safer,” he adds.
Other challenges cited include the supply and high cost of Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
