According to the February International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, there was a positive growth trend in air transport worldwide. The data shows a 21.5% increase in global passenger demand compared to the same month in the previous year.
The total airline capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASK), also increased by 18.7% compared to last year. Furthermore, the load factor in February was 80.6%, which was 1.9 percentage points higher than in February 2023.
The year 2024 had a strong start, and this trend continued into February. All markets, except North America, experienced double-digit growth in passenger traffic. General Manager Willie Walsh observed this and expressed his optimism for the industry's prospects this year. Airlines invest heavily in decarbonization, and global passenger demand shows resilience despite geopolitical and economic uncertainties.
“Politicians mustn't introduce new taxes that could destabilize the positive trajectory of the industry and make travel more expensive. The situation in Europe is particularly worrying because of the uncompetitive fiscal proposals that may hinder its economic recovery,” stated Walsh.
International demand for air travel increased by 26.3% compared to last year, with a corresponding growth of 25.5% in capacity. The load factor improved to 79.3%, 0.5% more than in February 2023.
On the other hand, national demand for air travel increased by 15.0% compared to February 2023, with a growth of 9.4% in capacity. The load factor also increased by 4% compared to February 2023, reaching 82.6%.
However, it should be noted that 2024 is a leap year, which means that February had one more day than February 2023. As a result, the growth in demand and capacity has been slightly increased.