Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region have skyrocketed, and airlines in Europe and the Middle East have also made significant profits. However, supply chain constraints limit capacity growth, highlighting the need for continuous efficiency improvements. Looking forward to 2025, growth is expected to ease to 8.0%, in line with historic trends
“2024 has absolutely revealed that people want to travel. With demand growth of 10.4%, travel has reached record numbers domestically and internationally. Airlines have strong in record efficiency. It met demand. On average, 83.5% of all seats offered were met. This is a new record high, partly due to supply chain constraints that limit capacity growth. “We've been working hard to get into the world,” said Willy Walsh, director general of IATA.
“Looking at 2025, there are all signs that travel demand continues to increase, despite a moderate pace of 8.0%, which is more consistent with the historic average. The freedom to fly is available. The desire to participate leads some challenges to acute focus. First, last night's tragic accident in Washington reminds us that safety requires our continued efforts. It gives us. Our thoughts are in all the people affected. We will never quit our job to make aviation safer,” he added.
The second is the airline's solid commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Airlines invested record amounts in the purchase of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) in 2024, but less than 0.5% of their fuel needs met SAFs. SAFs are insufficient supply and costs must be paid. The government has been able to strengthen the country's energy security and unblock the issue by prioritizing the production of renewable fuels from which the SAF is derived. In addition to securing energy supply and increasing SAF supply, diverting only a small portion of the grants given for fossil fuel extraction to support renewable energy capacity is through economic expansion and job creation. It will enhance prosperity,” Walsh said. Asia-Pacific airlines have maintained the region's strongest rates compared to 2023, with a 26.0% increase in international traffic for the full year in 2024. Capacity rose 24.7%, and the load factor rose 0.8 percentage points to 83.8%. Despite this strong growth, the opportunities for further growth remain high as international RPKs are 8.7% below 2019 levels. Traffic in December 2024 increased by 17.1% compared to December 2023.
European airlines' full-year traffic rose 9.7% compared to 2023. Capacity increased by 9.2%, and the load factor rose by 0.4 percentage points to 84.1%. Demand for December rose 8.6% compared to the same month in 2023.
Middle East Airlines saw a 9.4% increase in traffic in 2024 compared to 2023. Demand for December rose 7.7% compared to the same month in 2023.
North American airlines reported an annual traffic increase of 6.8% in 2024 compared to 2023. Traffic in December 2024 increased by 5.1% compared to the same period last year.
Latin American Airlines recorded a traffic increase of 14.4% in 2024 over 2023. Annual capacity rose 14.3%, and the load rate rose 0.1 percentage points to 84.8%. Demand for December rose 11.3% compared to December 2023.
Africa Airlines' annual traffic increased by 13.2% in 2024 from the previous year. Full-year capacity increased by 9.5% in 2024, with load rate rising 2.5 percentage points to 74.5%. December 2024 African Airlines' traffic rose 12.4% in December 2023. China was once again the standout domestic RPK performer in 2024, up 12.3% over 2023. There was stable growth in other major domestic markets. Notably, Japan achieved growth of 3.2% and capacity reduced by 0.3%. Only India saw a decrease in the load factor (-0.6 percentage points), but still achieved a load factor of 86.4%. This is the best of all domestic markets.
From an RPK perspective, the total passenger transport market shares by airline for 2024 are as follows: Asia-Pacific 33.5%, Europe 26.7%, North America 22.9%, Middle East 9.4%, Latin America 5.3%, Africa 2.2%.
“On average, 83.5% of all seats offered have been met. It is a new record record, partly due to supply chain constraints that limit capacity growth. Aviation growth is the most common way to employ , reverberates across society and economy at all levels through market development, trade, innovation, exploration, and more,” he said.
Walsh added that demand for 2025 appears to be set to continue the same pulse, but will ease to the historical average.
Full-year demand for 2024 was measured by a freight tonne kilometer (CTK) and increased by 11.3% (12.2% in international operations) compared to 2023.
Full-year capacity for 2024 was measured in the available freight tons-kilometer (ACTK), which increased by 7.4% compared to 2023 (9.6% in international operations), with an average yield of less than 2023 However, it is 1.6% lower than in 2023, but 39 people per person is more cents than in 2019.
