Global air passenger demand rises 4 per cent in July – IATA

Global passenger demand grew 4 per cent in July compared to the same month last year, driven by stronger international traffic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Sunday.

Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), rose 4.0 per cent year-on-year, while total capacity expanded 4.4 per cent. The global load factor slipped 0.4 percentage points to 85.5 per cent.

International demand increased 5.3 per cent compared to July 2024, outpacing domestic growth of 1.9 per cent.

Globally, International capacity grew in July: IATA data shows

International capacity was up 5.8 per cent year-on-year with a load factor of 85.6 per cent, while domestic capacity rose 2.4 per cent with a load factor of 85.2 per cent.

IATA said growth in international RPK was recorded across all regions except Africa, while Brazil remained the strongest domestic market. Japan’s domestic load factor hit 81.4 per cent, a record high for July since at least 2000.

Middle Eastern carriers registered a 5.3 per cent increase in demand, with capacity up 5.6 per cent and load factors easing to 84.1 per cent, down 0.2 percentage points. IATA said the rebound followed disruptions from the military conflict in June.

“It’s been a good northern summer season for airlines. Momentum has grown over the peak season with July demand reaching 4 per cent growth. That trend appears across all regions and is particularly evident for international travel, which strengthened from 3.9 per cent growth in June to 5.3 per cent in July,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general.

“With flight volumes showing a 2 per cent year-on-year increase for September after five months of decelerating growth, airlines are positioned to take advantage of this market momentum into the coming months,” he added.