Global air passenger demand in October remained strong, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. (IATA is the representative body for the global airline industry.) Total demand that month rose 7.1%, year-on-year (y-o-y), while international demand was up by 9.5%, and domestic demand increased by 3.5%.

Total global passenger capacity was 6.1% higher in October, also y-o-y. For international capacity, the increase was 8.6%, and for domestic capacity, 2%.

“Continued strong and stable demand is good news, but just as important is the steady improvement in load factors,” highlighted IATA director-general Willie Walsh. “It shows what a great job the industry is doing in flying people more efficiently.”

The average load factor for all flights in October was 83.9%, a 0.8 percentage point (ppt) increase, y-o-y. For international flights, the load factor was 83.5% (up 0.6 ppt), while that for domestic flights was 84.5% (a 1.2 ppt increase). 

“Average seat factors have risen from around 67% in the 1990s to over 83% today,” he highlighted. “Politicians thinking of trying to tax passengers off planes to reduce emissions would do well to note this. Even if fewer people fly because taxes make it too expensive, it doesn’t automatically mean reduced emissions because the planes will still fly, just with fewer passengers. That would reverse decades [of] hard-won progress. We need to see the planes full to generate the economic and social benefits of travel with the most minimal emissions possible.”

The region that saw the strongest y-o-y growth in total air passenger demand in October was the Asia-Pacific, at 12.7%. In second place was Africa, with growth of 9.3%. Then came Europe (7.9%), followed by Latin America (7%), the Middle East (2.5%) and North America (0.3%).

Regarding international demand, the region that ranked first was again the Asia-Pacific, with an increase of 17.5%. However, second place was taken by Latin America (10.9%), with Africa close behind (10.4%). Europe came next (8.7%) followed by North America (3.2%) and then the Middle East (2.2%).

The six big domestic air travel markets routinely monitored by IATA are Australia, Brazil, China, India, Japan and the US. Of these, the one that experienced the biggest y-o-y growth in demand in October was China, at 9.7%. Brazil came second, at 9.5%. Then followed India (6.1%) and Japan (3.3%). Domestic air travel demand in the US actually contracted, by -1.2%.