International air traffic is on a growth trajectory, with Asia and Africa at the center, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for May 2025.
Specifically, total global air traffic demand based on revenue per passenger kilometer (RPK) increased by 5% compared to May 2024, with the Asia-Pacific region taking the lead with 9.4%.
Total seat capacity (ASK) also increased by 5%, with the load factor standing at 83.4%, recording a marginal decrease of 0.1 p.p. compared to last year.
As IATA points out, the severe unrest in the Middle East in late June reminds us that geopolitical instability remains a challenge in some regions as airlines maintain safe operations with minimal disruption to passengers. The impact of such instability on oil prices, which remained low throughout May, is also a critical factor to watch.
“Importantly, consumer confidence appears to be strong with bookings for the peak summer season in the north providing good reason for optimism,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh.
International demand rose 6.7%, capacity +6.4% and load factor hit a new record for the month of May, reaching 83.2% (+0.2 percentage points).
In terms of international passenger traffic, Asia-Pacific led the way with a 13.3% increase in demand, a 10.6% increase in capacity and a load factor of +2 points, to 84%.
African airlines recorded a 9.5% increase in demand, a 6.2% increase in capacity, and a load factor of 74.9% (+2.2 points compared to May 2024). The Africa-Asia route is the fastest-growing international corridor, expanding by 15.9%.
In Europe, carriers recorded a 4.1% increase in demand, a 4.8% increase in capacity, and a 0.6% decrease in load factor, to 84%.
North American carriers recorded a 1.4% increase in demand, capacity increased by 1.7% and the load factor was 83.8% (-0.3 pp compared to May 2024).
Middle Eastern carriers recorded a 6.2% increase in demand, a 6.3% increase in capacity, and a load factor was 80.9% (-0.1 pp compared to May 2024).
Latin America recorded an 8.8% increase in demand and an 11% increase in capacity year-on-year. The load factor was 83.6% (-1.7 pp compared to May 2024).
Domestic passenger demand increased by 2.1% and seat capacity by +2.8%, while occupancy decreased slightly by 0.5 percentage points, to 83.7%.
