Airline load factors reach record high, says IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported record load factors for the global passenger airline industry in August 2024, reaching 86.2%.
This marks a 1.6 percentage point increase compared to August 2023, highlighting what IATA said was a robust recovery in air travel.
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, rose 8.6% year-on-year, with capacity increasing by 6.5%. International travel saw a 10.6% rise in demand, while domestic demand grew by 5.6%.
International capacity grew by 10.1%, bringing the load factor to 85.7%, while domestic capacity increased by 1.2%, resulting in a domestic load factor of 86.9%.
These figures reflect the growing global appetite for air travel, with both international and domestic sectors contributing to the overall rise in passenger numbers, IATA said.
“The market for air travel is hot and airlines are doing a great job at meeting the growing demand for travel. Efficiency gains have driven load factors to record highs while the 6.5% capacity increase demonstrates resilience in the face of persistent supply chain issues and infrastructure deficiencies,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
“Looking ahead, the continued strong demand growth signals that we could be fast approaching an infrastructure capacity crunch that would restrict connectivity and choice for passengers and businesses. If governments want to maximize the benefits of aviation, they must take bold decisions to ensure sufficient infrastructure capacity.
“And, in the interim, both airports and air navigation service providers need to do more with the resources they currently have. In particular, the variance in declared capacity of airports with broadly the same infrastructure needs to be resolved, with airports emulating the best performers. The industry cannot afford to under-utilize the airport infrastructure that we have,” said Walsh.
