IATA has released data for January’s global passenger demand. Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), was up 10% compared with January 2024.
African airlines saw a 14,9% year-on-year increase in demand.
Global total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), was up 7,1% year-on-year, while African airlines increased by 11,2%.
The global industry’s load factor reached 82,1% in January (a 2,2 percentage point increase compared with January 2024), an all-time high for January.
African airlines’ load factor rose to 75,9% (a 2,4 percentage point increase).
“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,” said Willie Walsh, IATA DG.
“The strong growth in demand aligns with the results of our latest passenger survey (November 2024) in which 94% of travellers indicated 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.”
Walsh concluded that 70% of travellers preferred 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,” said Walsh.
