Airlines Report Unprecedented Passenger Numbers for September 2024 :: Hospitality Trends

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports that global passenger demand hit a new record high in September 2024, up 7.1% from the previous year. The capacity, measured in available seat kilometers, increased by 5.8% yearly. The load factor for September was 83.6%, a 1.0 percentage point increase from September 2023.

International passenger demand saw a significant boost, up 9.2% from September 2023, with capacity increasing by 9.1% over the year. The load factor rose slightly to 83.8%. Domestic demand also experienced growth, rising 3.7% from September 2023. Domestic capacity increased slightly by 0.7%, and the load factor rose to 83.3%.

IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, highlighted the economic benefits of the increased demand and warned of the challenges it brings, such as capacity crunch in some regions. He called for political action to ensure sufficient airport and air traffic management capacity to meet the needs of businesses and citizens to travel.

All regions reported growth in international passenger markets in September 2024 compared to the previous year, with varied load factors. Asia-Pacific airlines saw the largest increase in demand, with an 18.5% rise year-on-year and a load factor of 82.6%. Latin American and African airlines also reported substantial increases in demand, at 12.4% and 11.9% respectively.

Domestic markets also showed steady growth, with all key markets except Japan experiencing record highs for September domestic traffic. However, North America saw a slight decrease in load factor.

IATA, representing over 80% of global air traffic, compiled these statistics using direct airline reporting and estimates, including using FlightRadar24 data under license.

The total passenger traffic market shares by region for 2023 were as follows: Asia-Pacific 31.7%, Europe 27.1%, North America 24.2%, Middle East 9.4%, Latin America 5.5%, and Africa 2.1%.