The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports an acceleration of 10% in global passenger demand for air travel in January 2025, compared to the same month in 2024, with a particularly strong performance in the Asia-Pacific region.
In a recent report released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global passenger demand for air travel in January 2025 saw an increase of 10% compared to January 2024. This robust growth was accompanied by a record-high load factor of 82.1%, reflecting a rise of 2.2 percentage points from the previous year.
International demand rose by 12.4% with a load factor of 82.6%, marking another all-time high for January. Domestic demand also increased by 6.1% with an 81.2% load factor, again, an all-time high for January.
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, commented on this growth, noting that many carriers delivered a strong performance, particularly those in the Asia-Pacific region. Walsh highlighted that the record high load factors are a reminder of the persistent supply chain issues in the aerospace sector.
In a passenger survey conducted by IATA in November 2024, 94% of travelers indicated plans to travel as much or more in the coming 12 months than they did in the past year. Walsh lauded the airlines for accommodating the growing demand despite fleet and infrastructure constraints. He noted that satisfaction levels were above 95%, with nearly 80% of travelers agreeing that air travel provides good value for money.
The report also included a detailed breakdown of the air passenger market and regional growth for international passenger markets in January 2025. All regions showed growth compared to January 2024, with Asia-Pacific demand being particularly strong. Load factors rose year-on-year in all markets except Latin America.
Domestic Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK) increased by 6.1% over the previous year. Particularly strong growth was observed in India, Japan, and China, with China’s growth of 10.0% being driven by record numbers traveling for the Lunar New Year. The load factors continued to edge up to hit a record high of 81.2% for January.
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