Iata, the international airlines organisation, reported continued growth in passenger demand during August, with a record load factor – but warned about a possible “capacity crunch” at airports.
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), was up 8.6% compared to August 2023.
And the August load factor was 86.2% – up by 1.6 percentage points year on year to reach a new record high.
International demand rose 10.6% compared to August 2023, with the load factor rising by 0.4 percentage points to 85.7%.
European carriers saw a 9.1% year-on-year increase in demand, with Iata noting that the Europe-Asia route was by far the fastest-growing, but it “still markedly below its 2019 peak”.
Willie Walsh, Iata director general, said: “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.
“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.
“And, in the interim, both airports and air navigation service providers need to do more with the resources they currently have.
“The industry cannot afford to under-utilise the airport infrastructure that we have.”
More: Iata reports 8% rise in July air traffic but warns of capacity constraints