Global air traffic in October, as measured in revenue passenger kilometers, increased 7.1 percent year over year, the same growth figure reported for September, the International Air Transport Association announced Wednesday. Capacity, as measured in available seat kilometers, was up 6.1 percent compared with October 2023. The load factor was up 0.8 percentage points versus a year prior to 83.9 percent.
International demand for October was up 9.5 percent year over year, with capacity up 8.6 percent. Load factor was up 0.6 percentage points to 83.5 percent. Domestic demand rose 3.5 percent versus October 2023, while capacity increased 2 percent and the load factor was 84.5 percent, up 1.2 percentage points.
"Average seat factors have risen from around 67 percent in the 1990s to over 83 percent today," IATA director general Willie Walsh said in a statement. "Politicians thinking of trying to tax passengers off planes to reduce emissions would do well to note this. Even if fewer people fly because taxes make it too expensive, it doesn't automatically mean reduced emissions because the planes will still fly, just with fewer passengers."
[Report continues below chart.]
Total October air demand and capacity increased for each market IATA covers. Year-over-year traffic increases ranged from 0.3 percent for the United States to 12.7 percent for Asia-Pacific. Capacity increased from 1.6 percent to 9.7 percent compared with October 2023 for each of the six regions. Load factor was a mixed bag, with half of the markets reporting declines, albeit low ones. Africa posted the highest increase, at 2.8 percent points to 73.8 percent. North America had the steepest decline at 1.1 percentage points to 83.2 percent.
International air demand and capacity in October increased for each region tracked by IATA. Asia-Pacific led the way with a 17.5 percent year-over-year increase in demand and a 17.2 percent increase in capacity. Four of the six regions reported increased load factors, with Europe gaining 1.1 percentage points to 85.7 percent, and Africa increasing 3.4 percentage points to 73.2 percent. Middle Eastern and Latin American carriers reported load-factor declines of 0.2 percentage points to 80.2 percent and 0.6 percentage points to 85.3 percent, respectively.
October domestic air traffic increased for all the countries on which IATA reports, except for the United States, where it declined 1.2 percent year over year. Capacity increased for four of the six countries, save for Australia and Japan, where it declined 0.5 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively. China's load factor increased 5.9 percentage points to 86.2 percent compared with October 2023. India's declined 2.7 percentage points to 81.7 percent, while it was down 1.7 percentage points in the U.S. to 82.5 percent.
RELATED: IATA: September Global Air Traffic at All-Time High