KUALA LUMPUR: Total global passenger demand for January 2025, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, was up 10.0 per cent compared to January 2024 with particularly strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said.
In a statement, it said the total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres, was up 7.1 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y).
"The January load factor reached 82.1 per cent, up 2.2 percentage points (ppt) compared to January 2024), an all-time high for the month,” it said.
As for international demand, it rose 12.4 per cent compared to January 2024, with the capacity rising 8.7 per cent y-o-y and the load factor was 82.6 per cent (+2.7 ppt), also a record high for January.
Meanwhile, IATA said the domestic demand increased 6.1 per cent compared to January 2024, while capacity was up 4.5 per cent y-o-y and the load factor was 81.2 per cent (+1.2 ppt), another record for January.
IATA noted that Asia-Pacific carriers recorded a 21.8 per cent y-o-y increase in demand.
"Capacity grew 16.5 per cent y-o-y, and the load factor reached 86.7 per cent (+3.8 ppt), driven by strong traffic from Northeast Asia,” it said.
IATA’s director general Willie Walsh highlighted that record-high load factors accompanying this strong demand were yet another reminder of the persistent supply chain issues in the aerospace sector.
"The strong demand aligns with our latest November 2024 passenger survey, where 94 per cent of travellers indicated plans to travel as much or more in the next 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 per cent, and nearly 80 per cent of travellers agreeing that air travel is good value for money,” he said.
He also noted that some 70 per cent prefer to pay the lowest fare and customise the additional services they need.
As for the air cargo market in January 2025, IATA said total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers, rose by 3.2 per cent compared to January 2024 levels (3.6 per cent for international operations) marking the 18th consecutive month of growth.
Meanwhile, capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers, expanded by 6.8 per cent y-o-y (7.3 per cent for international operations).
Asia-Pacific airlines saw 7.5 per cent y-o-y demand growth for air cargo in January while capacity increased by 10.9 per cent y-o-y, it added. - Bernama
