Global total air passenger traffic showed good year-on-year growth in July, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. IATA is the global representative body for the airline industry.

“It’s been a good northern summer season for the airlines,” affirmed IATA director-general Willie Walsh. “Momentum has grown over the peak season with July demand reaching 4% [year-on-year] growth. That trend appears across all regions and is particularly evident for international travel, which strengthened from 3.9% [year-on-year] growth in June to 5.3% in July. Moreover, with flight volumes showing a 2% [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.” (Domestic air travel demand increased by 1.9%.)  

Total global air passenger capacity increased 4.4%, year-on-year, in July, with international capacity rising 5.8% and domestic capacity by 2.4%. The total load factor in July was 85.5%, which was -0.4 percentage points (ppt) lower, year-on-year. The international load factor was 85.6% (also down -0.4 ppt) and the domestic load factor 85.2% (again, -0.4 ppt).

The region which saw the greatest increase in total year-on-year demand in July was Latin America and the Caribbean, at 7.2%. Second was the Asia-Pacific, at 5.7%, followed by the Middle East (5.4%), Africa (3.9%), Europe (2.9%) and North America (1.9%). 

In terms of international demand, Latin America and the Caribbean again ranked first, with year-on-year growth of 9.3%. The Asia-Pacific retained second place, with 8.7%, while the Middle East stayed in third place (5.3%). But Europe came next (4%) and then Africa (2.8%). North America again showed the slowest growth, at 2.4%.

Regarding capacity, the region which saw the biggest year-on-year increase in July was Latin America and the Caribbean, with a rise of 11.3%. Second was the Asia-Pacific, with 9%, and then the Middle East (5.6%), Europe (4.2%), North America (3.6%) and Africa (2.3%).

When it came to July load factors, North America had the highest, at 88.4% (which was -1.0 ppt, year-on-year). Then followed Europe, at 87.3% (-0.2 ppt, year-on-year); Latin America and the Caribbean, 85.8% (-1.6 ppt); the Middle East, with 84.1% (-0.2 ppt); the Asia-Pacific, 83.8% (also -0.2 ppt); and Africa, 74.9% (+0.4 ppt).

Regarding domestic air travel, the five major markets now tracked by IATA are Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, and the US (because data is available for them). Between them, these five domestic markets accounted for some 28.6% of total global air passenger demand. Of these the one with the strongest year-on-year demand growth in July was Brazil, at 9.4%. It was followed by Australia (4.3%), China (3.8%), Japan (2.9%) and the US (1.5%).