The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its January 2025 traffic results, revealing a powerful start to the year for global air travel. Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), surged by 10.0% compared to January 2024. This growth was accompanied by a 7.1% increase in capacity (ASK), resulting in a record-high January load factor of 82.1%, a 2.2 percentage point increase.”
Leading the global expansion was the Asia-Pacific region, where airlines saw an exceptional 21.8% year-on-year demand increase. This surge, fueled by strong traffic from Northeast Asia, pushed the region’s load factor to an impressive 86.7%, a 3.8 percentage point rise.
Breaking down the global figures:
- International demand rose by 12.4%, with a load factor of 82.6%, another record high for January.
- Domestic demand increased by 6.1%, achieving a load factor of 81.2%, also a record for January.
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, commented, “We’ve seen a notable acceleration in demand this January, with a particularly strong performance by carriers based in the Asia-Pacific region. The record-high load factors that accompany this strong demand are yet another reminder of the persistent supply chain issues in the aerospace sector.”
Walsh also highlighted the positive passenger sentiment, citing a recent survey where 94% of travelers indicated plans to maintain or increase their travel in the coming year. He further noted that airlines are effectively managing growing demand despite fleet and infrastructure constraints, with passenger satisfaction levels exceeding 95%.
Regional performance highlights:
- European carriers: Demand is up 8.6%, and load factor is 79.2%.
- Middle Eastern carriers: Demand is up 9.6%, and the load factor is 83.8%, boosted by recovery in Israel and strong Gulf carrier performance.
- North American carriers: Demand is up 3.8%, and load factor is 81.8%.
- Latin American airlines: Demand is up 12.9%, and load factor is 84.3%.
- African airlines: Demand up 14.9%, load factor 75.9%.”
IATA’s analysis indicates that all regions experienced year-on-year growth in international passenger markets, with Asia-Pacific showing particularly strong results. All markets except Europe and North America showed strong acceleration when comparing January to December 2024. Load factors rose year-on-year in all markets except Latin America.
