According to The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in April 2024, total passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), increased by 11.0% compared to April 2023. The total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), rose by 9.6% year-on-year, resulting in a load factor of 82.4%, an improvement of 1.0 percentage point over April 2023.
International passenger demand saw a robust increase of 15.8% compared to the same month last year, with capacity up 14.8% year-on-year.
The load factor for international flights improved to 82.2%, a 0.7 percentage point increase from April 2023. Domestic travel also experienced growth, with demand rising by 4.0% year-on-year. Domestic capacity increased by 2.1%, leading to a load factor of 82.6%, up 1.5 percentage points from the previous year.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, noted, “Passenger demand has been growing for 36 consecutive months. As we enter the peak northern summer travel season, there is every reason to feel optimistic for a strong summer with airlines offering a wide range of travel options. 97% of passengers asked in our recent survey said they were satisfied with their last flight. Every part of the travel value chain needs to be focused on maintaining that.”
IATA, representing around 320 airlines which account for 83% of global air traffic, also highlighted in its Passenger Survey that 88% of respondents agreed that “air travel makes my life better.” Walsh emphasised the importance of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 to ensure the continued benefits of air travel.
Regional performance
All regions showed significant growth in international passenger markets in April 2024 compared to the previous year:
- Asia-Pacific airlines led the growth with a 32.1% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased by 29.3%, and the load factor rose to 83.7%, up 1.7 percentage points.
- Europe carriers saw a 10.1% increase in demand. Capacity grew by 10.0%, and the load factor was 83.3%, a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points. European international routes have surpassed pre-COVID levels except for routes to Africa.
- Middle East airlines experienced a 14.2% increase in demand. Capacity was up by 9.9%, with the load factor rising by 3.0 percentage points to 79.3%.
- North America carriers saw a 6.5% increase in demand. Capacity increased by 10.3%, but the load factor fell to 81.0%, a decrease of 2.9 percentage points.
- Latin America airlines reported a 14.5% increase in demand. Capacity grew by 13.5%, and the load factor rose to 84.1%, up 0.7 percentage points, the highest among the regions.
- Africa airlines saw a 15.5% increase in demand. Capacity increased by 10.4%, and the load factor rose by 3.2 percentage points to 73.0%.
Domestic markets
Domestic demand growth was slower in April, with China’s growth rate moderating to 4.2% following the end of a holiday surge.
Japan’s performance was nearly flat due to the end of the fiscal year and the start of the school spring holiday, although the overall RPK trend in Japan remains positive.
Based on IATA’s latest data, as the industry moves into the peak travel season, the outlook remains positive with a strong demand for air travel globally.
