Global air passenger traffic up 5pc in May, says IATA
GENEVA, 21 hours, 35 minutes ago
Global air passenger traffic rose 5% in May compared to a year earlier, with international travel setting a new record for May load factors, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The aviation industry’s overall capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), also climbed 5.0% year-on-year, with the global load factor - an indicator of seat occupancy - holding steady at 83.4%, just 0.1 percentage point below May 2024 levels, said IATA in its global passenger demand data for May 2025 released today (June 30).
The Middle Eastern carriers too posted growth with a 6.2% year-on-year jump in demand. Its capacity increased 6.3% year-on-year, while the load factor was 80.9% (-0.1 ppt compared to May 2024),
International passenger demand grew 6.7% compared with the same month last year, while capacity increased 6.4%.
The international load factor rose slightly to 83.2%, the highest ever recorded for May, while the domestic markets saw more modest growth, with demand up 2.1% year-on-year and capacity rising 2.8%.
The domestic load factor slipped to 83.7%, down 0.5 percentage points from May 2024, it stated.
Regionwise, Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a 13.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 10.6% year-on-year, and the load factor was 84.0% (+2.0 ppt compared to May 2024).
European carriers had a 4.1% year-on-year increase in demand with its capacity surging by 4.8% year-on-year, and the load factor standing at 84.0% (-0.6 ppt compared to May 2024).
According to IATA, the North American carriers saw a 1.4% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 1.7% year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.8% (-0.3 ppt compared to May 2024).
African airlines recorded a 9.5% year-on-year increase in demand with their capacity up 6.2% year-on-year. The load factor was 74.9% (+2.2 ppt compared to May 2024).
IATA said Africa-Asia was the fastest-growing international corridor, with an expansion of 15.9%.
"Air travel demand growth was uneven in May. Globally, the industry reported 5% growth with Asia-Pacific taking the lead at 9.4%. The outlier was North America which reported a 0.5% decline, led by a 1.7% fall in the US domestic market," remarked its Director General Willie Walsh.
"Severe disruptions in the Middle East in late June remind us that geopolitical instability remains a challenge in some regions as airlines maintain safe operations with minimal passenger inconvenience,'' he stated.
The impact of such instability on oil prices - which remained low throughout May - is also a critical factor to monitor," noted Walsh.
"Importantly, consumer confidence appears to be strong with forward bookings for the peak Northern summer travel season, giving good reason for optimism," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
