Air travel demand rises sharply in April
May 30, 2025
Global air passenger traffic saw robust growth in April, with international travel leading the charge and pushing load factors to record levels for the month, according to the latest update from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Passenger demand rose by 8.0% year-on-year, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs), while available seat capacity grew by 6.5%.
The resulting global load factor reached 83.6%, up 1.1 percentage points from April 2024, an indicator of strong market conditions despite wider economic uncertainty.
The sharpest gains came on international routes, where demand increased by 10.8% year-on-year. Capacity on these services expanded by 8.5%, and the international load factor hit a record 84.1% for April.
Domestic travel was more subdued, posting a 3.3% increase in demand with capacity edging up by 3.1%. The average domestic load factor stood at 82.7%, slightly higher than the same month last year.
Commenting on the figures, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said: “April was a positive month for travel. Growth strengthened, especially for international demand which saw record load factors for the month. The return of the transatlantic market to growth is particularly encouraging. But there are some signs of fragility of consumer and business confidence with continued weakness in the US domestic market and a sharp fall in North American premium class travel.”
The data comes as the global aviation sector gathers in New Delhi for IATA’s 81st Annual General Meeting. Speaking from the summit, Walsh also highlighted the rapid expansion of India’s aviation market.
“As we gather in New Delhi, India for the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit, it is notable that Indian domestic growth is running at over 10%. The development of India’s air connectivity in recent years has been nothing short of phenomenal, making this year’s gathering a timely and powerful reminder for all on how aviation connectivity drives growth and development,” he said.
