Aviation analytics firm Cirium said 2024 marked a “historic milestone in global aviation”, with the highest number of passenger seats available on flights in a single year.
Airlines offered 5.85 billion seats on scheduled flights worldwide, exceeding the previous record of 5.72 billion seats set in 2019 by 2%.
Global seat capacity also increased by 6% year-on-year in 2024, fuelled by surging demand for air travel and airlines deploying larger aircraft to meet this demand.
However, the total number of scheduled flights in 2024, at 36.4 million, remained 5% below 2019 levels, emphasising airlines’ shift toward operating larger planes with higher seating capacities.
Jeremy Bowen, chief executive of Cirium, said: “The fact that the industry has managed to exceed 2019 highs just a few years post-pandemic shows the strength air travel has in today’s world – whether that be connecting families and friends, allowing important face-to-face business meetings or simply allowing travellers to explore new parts of the world.”
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Cirium also revealed UK trends, showing 1.98 million scheduled flights departed or arrived at UK airports last year.
The number of departures from UK airports was up 4.3% in 2024 compared to 2023, while departing seat capacity was up 5.9% year-on-year.
The number of departures from UK airports in 2024 sat at 91.2% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels, while departing seat capacity sat at 99.8% of 2019 levels.
The busiest day for UK air travel in 2024 was September 6, while the quietest was December 25.
The biggest international destinations for UK departures in 2024 (based on seat capacity) were: Amsterdam followed by Dublin, Dubai, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Tenerife-South, Barcelona, Paris CDG and New York JFK.
Globally, American Airlines had the most passenger seat offerings, followed by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. European low-cost airline Ryanair ranked fifth, as the only non-US operator in the top tier.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was the world’s busiest airport, while Dubai International ranked second. Tokyo-Haneda, Heathrow and Dallas-Fort Worth were third, fourth and fifth.
Pictured: Heathrow