The global aviation sector continues its upward trajectory, according to the latest data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) through its annual World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) report for 2024.
IATA data shows an 11.8% increase in business and first-class international travel, slightly surpassing the overall rise in economy class (11.5%). In absolute numbers, 116.9 million international passengers traveled in premium categories in 2024, representing 6% of the total international passenger base.
The Asia-Pacific region recorded the highest percentage increase in premium seats (22.8%), with 21 million premium passengers, although the growth in economy class was even higher (28.6%), reaching 500.8 million passengers.
In Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America, the increase in premium ticket sales outpaced that of the economy class. Europe remained the largest premium seat market, with 39.3 million passengers, while in the Middle East, premium passengers made up 14.7% of the total.
Asia Dominates Top Airline Routes
The Jeju – Seoul (CJU-GMP) route in South Korea was the most popular in the world in 2024, with 13.2 million passengers. Of the top 10 global routes, 9 were in the Asia-Pacific region, with the only exception being the Jeddah – Riyadh route.
Other notable routes by region included:
Latin America: Bogot? – Medell?n (3.8 million)
Africa: Cape Town – Johannesburg (3.3 million)
North America: New York (JFK) – Los Angeles (2.2 million)
Europe: Barcelona – Palma de Mallorca (2 million)
Boeing 737 Leads in Aircraft Usage
The Boeing 737 (in all its variants) remained the most used aircraft, operating 10 million flights in 2024 and offering 2.4 trillion available seat kilometers (ASKs). It was followed by the Airbus A320 (7.9 million flights) and the A321 (3.4 million), while the new-generation Airbus A220 saw the largest annual percentage increase in usage (+21.7%).
U.S. and China Lead the Global Passenger Market
The United States retained its lead in the global passenger market with 876 million passengers (up 5.2%), driven largely by strong domestic travel. China ranked second with 741 million passengers and an impressive annual growth of 18.7%. The top five were rounded out by:
United Kingdom: 261 million (+7.3%)
Spain: 241 million (+10.7%)
India: 211 million (+11.1%)
The report compiles data from more than 240 international airlines, offering a comprehensive statistical overview of global passenger and cargo air transport. It includes details on demand, capacity, industry financial performance, aircraft usage, and the number of airline employees.
IATA represents about 350 airlines, covering over 80% of global air traffic.
