by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:50 AM ET, Wed March 6, 2024
The International
Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest passenger demand data from
January is a positive sign for the start of 2024.
IATA’s research found that total traffic worldwide—measured
in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs)—was up 16.6 percent, while total
capacity—measured in available seat kilometers (ASK)—increased by 14.1 percent.
The load factor also improved by 1.7 percent.
International demand was strong to start the year, with
traffic rising 20.8 percent and capacity improving by 20.9 percent. As for
domestic demand, total traffic was up 10.4 percent, capacity increased by 4.6
percent, and the load factor grew by 4.2 percent.
“2024 is off to a strong start despite economic and
geopolitical uncertainties,” IATA
Director General Willie Walsh said. “As governments look to build prosperity in
their economies in the busiest election-year ever, it is critical that they see
aviation as a catalyst for growth.”
“Increased taxes and onerous regulation are a counterweight
to prosperity,” Walsh continued. “We will be looking to governments for
policies that help aviation to reduce costs, improve efficiency and make
progress towards net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.”
For airlines in North
America, traffic rose 12.3 percent in January 2024 compared to last year,
while capacity increased 13.7 percent. The total load factor fell one percent
to 79.4 percent.
In Europe, carriers reported a 10.8 percent improvement in
passenger traffic and a 10.7 percent jump in capacity. Routes between Europe
and North America have rebounded strongly from the pandemic and stand 6.5
percent higher than in January 2020.
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