The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today announced global passenger demand data for May 2025, revealing sustained growth in air travel with a notable milestone in international load factors.
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), saw a robust increase of 5.0% compared to May 2024. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), also rose by 5.0% year-on-year. The global passenger load factor stood at 83.4%, a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage point from May 2024.
International demand led the way with a 6.7% rise compared to May 2024, supported by a 6.4% year-on-year increase in capacity. This pushed the international load factor to a record-setting 83.2% for May, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous year.
Conversely, domestic demand grew by 2.1% compared to May 2024, with capacity up 2.8%. The domestic load factor was 83.7%, a 0.5 percentage point decline from May 2024.
“Air travel demand growth was uneven in May. Globally, the industry reported 5% growth with Asia-Pacific taking the lead at 9.4%. The outlier was North America, which reported a 0.5% decline, led by a 1.7% fall in the US domestic market,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Walsh added, “Severe disruptions in the Middle East in late June remind us that geopolitical instability remains a challenge in some regions, as airlines maintain safe operations with minimal passenger inconvenience. The impact of such instability on oil prices—which remained low throughout May—is also a critical factor to monitor. Importantly, consumer confidence appears to be strong with forward bookings for the peak Northern summer travel season, giving good reason for optimism.”
International Passenger Market Highlights:
International RPK growth reached 6.7% year-on-year in May, with all regions experiencing growth. However, load factors showed a mixed picture, increasing by only 0.2 percentage points overall. Traffic expansion on most key international routes to the Americas slowed in May, with the exception of Transatlantic routes, which saw a modest 2.5% year-on-year increase.
- Asia-Pacific airlines recorded a strong 13.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity grew by 10.6%, leading to a load factor of 84.0% (+2.0 ppt).
- European carriers saw demand rise by 4.1% year-on-year. Capacity increased by 4.8%, resulting in an 84.0% load factor (-0.6 ppt).
- North American carriers experienced a 1.4% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 1.7%, with a load factor of 83.8% (-0.3 ppt).
- Middle Eastern carriers posted a 6.2% year-on-year demand increase. Capacity rose by 6.3%, and the load factor was 80.9% (-0.1 ppt).
- Latin American airlines saw an 8.8% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity climbed 11.0%, leading to an 83.6% load factor (-1.7 ppt).
- African airlines reported a 9.5% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 6.2%, and the load factor reached 74.9% (+2.2 ppt). The Africa-Asia corridor was the fastest-growing international route, expanding by 15.9%.
Domestic Passenger Market Highlights:
Domestic RPKs increased by 2.1% over May 2024, while the load factor fell by 0.5 percentage points to 83.7% due to a 2.8% capacity expansion. All regions showed domestic growth except the United States, which experienced a decline attributed to economic slowdown and reductions in government travel. Notably, Chinese domestic travel growth accelerated for the third consecutive month, and Brazil continued its strong, unbroken expansion since January 2023.
The positive forward bookings for the upcoming Northern summer travel season provide a strong basis for continued optimism in the air travel industry.
