The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its latest data, revealing a significant surge in global air travel demand for April 2024. The highlights of the report include:

• Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), rose by 11% compared to April 2023.
• Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), increased by 9.6% year-on-year.
• The April load factor reached 82.4%, a 1.0 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year.

International air travel demand saw a remarkable 15.8% growth compared to April 2023, with capacity rising by 14.8% year-on-year. The load factor for international flights improved to 82.2%, a 0.7 percentage point increase.

Domestic air travel demand also experienced a 4% increase compared to April 2023, with capacity growing by 2.1% year-on-year. The load factor for domestic flights reached 82.6%, a 1.5 percentage point increase.

According to Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, “Passenger demand has been growing for 36 consecutive months. As we enter the peak northern summer travel season, there is every reason to feel optimistic for a strong summer with airlines offering a wide range of travel options. 97% of passengers asked in our recent survey said they were satisfied with their last flight. Every part of the travel value chain needs to be focused on maintaining that.”

The IATA Passenger Survey also revealed that 88% of respondents agreed that “air travel makes my life better.” Walsh emphasized the importance of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, stating, “This strong endorsement of the power of air connectivity to transform lives and boost economies brings with it a challenge that will also be on the minds of all attending our upcoming Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Dubai. It is critically important that we achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 so that people can continue to rely on all the benefits of air travel.