The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its data for August 2024, showcasing a significant rise in global passenger demand. Here are the key highlights:

Overall Market Performance

• Total Demand: Measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), total demand increased by 8.6% compared to August 2023.
• Total Capacity: Measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), capacity rose by 6.5% year-on-year.
• Load Factor: The load factor reached a new record high of 86.2%, up 1.6 percentage points from August 2023.

International vs. Domestic Markets

• International Demand: Increased by 10.6% compared to August 2023, with capacity up by 10.1% and a load factor of 85.7% (+0.4ppt).
• Domestic Demand: Rose by 5.6% year-on-year, with capacity up by 1.2% and a load factor of 86.9% (+3.6ppt).

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, commented on the robust market performance:

“The market for air travel is hot, and airlines are doing a great job at meeting the growing demand for travel. Efficiency gains have driven load factors to record highs while the 6.5% capacity increase demonstrates resilience in the face of persistent supply chain issues and infrastructure deficiencies.”

Regional Breakdown

• Africa: Demand up 9.6%, capacity up 6.7%, load factor at 77.9% (+2.1ppt).
• Asia Pacific: Demand surged by 13.4%, capacity up 8.7%, load factor at 86.0% (+3.6ppt).
• Europe: Demand increased by 7.8%, capacity up 7.3%, load factor at 87.9% (+0.4ppt).
• Latin America: Demand up 6.5%, capacity up 8.1%, load factor at 84.0% (-1.3ppt).
• Middle East: Demand up 5.0%, capacity up 5.9%, load factor at 82.3% (-0.7ppt).
• North America: Demand up 4.8%, capacity up 2.4%, load factor at 87.1% (+2.0ppt).

International Passenger Markets

• Asia-Pacific: Demand up 19.9%, capacity up 18.8%, load factor at 85.2% (+0.8ppt).
• Europe: Demand up 9.1%, capacity up 8.5%, load factor at 87.2% (+0.5ppt).
• Middle East: Demand up 4.9%, capacity up 5.6%, load factor at 82.5% (-0.6ppt).
• North America: Demand up 4.3%, capacity up 3.8%, load factor at 88.2% (+0.4ppt).
• Latin America: Demand up 13.6%, capacity up 15.2%, load factor at 85.1% (-1.2ppt).
• Africa: Demand up 10.1%, capacity up 7.3%, load factor at 77.8% (+2.0ppt).

Domestic Passenger Markets

• Domestic Australia: Demand up 4.9%, capacity up 0.7%, load factor at 87.1% (+3.5ppt).
• Domestic Brazil: Demand up 4.9%, capacity up 6.7%, load factor at 81.7% (-1.4ppt).
• Domestic China: Demand up 10.7%, capacity up 1.4%, load factor at 86.3% (+7.3ppt).
• Domestic India: Demand up 5.0%, capacity up 7.3%, load factor at 82.9% (-1.8ppt).
• Domestic Japan: Demand up 7.6%, capacity up 2.0%, load factor at 87.2% (+4.5ppt).
• Domestic US: Demand up 5.5%, capacity up 1.9%, load factor at 86.2% (+2.9ppt).

Walsh also highlighted the potential challenges ahead:

“Looking ahead, the continued strong demand growth signals that we could be fast approaching an infrastructure capacity crunch that would restrict connectivity and choice for passengers and businesses. If governments want to maximise the benefits of aviation, they must take bold decisions to ensure sufficient infrastructure capacity.”

The data underscores the aviation industry’s resilience and adaptability, even as it faces ongoing challenges. The strong performance in August 2024 sets a positive tone for the remainder of the year, with continued growth anticipated across both international and domestic markets.