Global airline passenger numbers...

Middle East carriers saw passenger demand surpass global growth

Global airline passenger numbers soared in June 2024, according to figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Middle East airlines recorded a 9.6% surge in passenger demand year-on-year in June, higher than global growth.

Overall, global demand, which is measured as revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), was up 9.1% for the month, compared to the same period in 2023.

Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), increased 8.5% compared to this time last year and the load factor – the percentage of seats that are taken up by passengers on a flight – sat at 85%, up 0.5% on the June 2023.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said: “Operating with such high load factors is both good and challenging. It makes it even more important for all the stakeholders to operate with equal levels of efficiency to minimise delays and get travellers to their destinations on schedule.”

The biggest domestic markets also performed well, except for Australia and Japan, where the RPK readings were lower than last year. Demand in the US, which accounts for 15% of the domestic total, was up 5.1%, while in China demand increased by 5.5% this June compared to last year.

Commenting on the growth in the aviation sector, Walsh flagged that some Middle East airlines had benefitted from issues within the shipping industry related to the tensions in the Red Sea. He also pointed to the Olympic Games in Paris and the “pride” that the airline industry has in "bringing many of the athletes, fans and officials together”.

“It is a great reminder of how aviation transforms our very big world into a global community,” he said.

For more information, visit www.iata.org

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