Air travel demand continued to trend up in August, up 8.6% compared to 2023.
Latest International Air Transport Association (IATA) monthly data showed total capacity in available seat kilometers (ASK), was up 6.5% year-on-year.
The August load factor was up slightly at 86.2% which marks a new record high.
Breaking down the numbers, international demand rose 10.6% compared to August 2023 with capacity up 10%.
Domestic demand rose 5.6% with a small 1% rise in capacity.
“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,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
On a region-by-region basis, Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a 19.9% year-on-year increase in demand followed by Latin America and Africa which both had double-digit growth.
European carriers saw a 9.1% year-on-year increase in demand.
