The global passenger demand for air travel, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), was up 21.5% compared to February 2023, the latest figure from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revealed.

Commenting on the results, Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said: “The strong start to 2024 continued in February with all markets except North America reporting double-digit growth in passenger traffic. There is good reason to be optimistic about the industry’s prospects in 2024 as airlines accelerate investments in decarbonization and passenger demand shows resilience in the face of geopolitical and economic uncertainties."

"Politicians must resist the temptation of cash grabs with new taxes that could destabilize this positive trajectory and make travel more expensive. In particular, Europe is a worry as it seems determined to lock in its sluggish economic recovery with uncompetitive tax proposals,” he added.

Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), was up 18.7% year-on-year. The February load factor was 80.6% (+1.9ppt compared to February 2023).

African airlines saw a 20.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 22.1% year-on-year. The load factor fell to 74.0% (-0.8ppt compared to February 2023).