Global airline passenger demand soared by 10% at the start of the year with heightened load factors – highlighting “persistent” supply chain issues facing the aviation sector, according to Iata.
The figures for January released by the airline trade body show that overall capacity was up by 7.1% year-on-year with a record load factor for the month of 82.1% – up 2.2 percentage points.
International demand rose 12.4% compared to January 2024, while capacity was up 8.7% and the load factor rose 2.7 percentage points to 82.6% – another all time high for the month.
Domestic demand was up by 6.1% as capacity rose by 4.5% year-on-year. The load factor increased by 1.2 percentage points to a record 81.2% for January.
All regions showed growth for international passenger markets in January, with Asia-Pacific demand particularly strong.
“All markets except Europe and North America showed strong acceleration in January compared to December 2024. Load factors rose year-on-year in all markets except Latin America,” according to Iata.
Iata director general Willie Walsh said: “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.”
He added: “The strong growth in demand aligns with the results of our latest passenger survey (November 2024) in which 94% of travellers indicted that they planned to travel as much or more in the coming 12 months than they did in the past year.
“Airlines are doing a good job of accommodating growing demand amid fleet and infrastructure constraints with satisfaction levels above 95%, and nearly 80% of travellers agreeing that air travel is good value for money.
“Choice is an important component of this satisfaction. Some 70% prefer to pay the lowest fare and customise the additional services they need.
“It is important for regulators to clearly understand that the majority of travellers do not want to pay automatically for services they don’t need.”