Airlines increased passenger traffic by 10.4% in 2024, setting a record, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Compared to the level of pre-pandemic 2019, the figure increased by 3.8%. Aircraft load factor increased to 83.5%, which is also a record, compared to 82.2% a year earlier.
Last year, airlines increased passenger traffic on international flights by 13.6% compared to 2023, and on domestic flights by 5.7%. “The year 2024 made it absolutely clear that people want to travel.
The number of trips reached record levels on both domestic and international routes,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh, quoted in the report. – “The growth of aviation impacts societies and economies at all levels through jobs, market development, trade, innovation, research and more.
“Looking ahead to 2025, there is every indication that travel demand will continue to grow, albeit at a more moderate pace of 8%, which is more in line with historical averages,” he added.
In 2024, European airlines increased passenger traffic on international flights by 9.7%, while flight load factor rose by 0.4 percentage points to 84.1%.
In North America, the first indicator grew by 6.8%, while the second decreased by 0.5 percentage points to 84.2%.
In the Asia-Pacific region, passenger traffic jumped by 26%, and flight load factor rose by 0.8 percentage points to 83.8%. Traffic on domestic airlines in China grew by 12.3%, in India by 6%, in Brazil by 4.6%, and in the US by 3.7%.
The cargo turnover of global airlines in 2024 increased by 11.3% and exceeded the previous maximum recorded in 2021, IATA said in a statement.
This was driven, in particular, by a 3.6% increase in global trade in goods. IATA represents 340 airlines from around the world, accounting for more than 80% of global air traffic.
