The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published the 2024 edition of its World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), providing a comprehensive, data-driven overview of the global aviation industry.
Updated annually using data from more than 240 international airlines, WATS presents a complete picture of the industry’s performance, covering demand, capacity, and operational metrics. The 2024 report details scheduled passenger and cargo traffic, airline fleet composition, top airport pairs, and regional market dynamics. It also includes extensive financial indicators such as operating revenues and costs, aircraft utilization rates, and workforce statistics.
One of the report’s key highlights is the robust growth in international premium-class travel—business and first class—up 11.8% year-on-year, slightly outpacing the 11.5% increase in global economy-class travel. In total, 116.9 million passengers traveled internationally in premium cabins during 2024, accounting for 6% of total international passenger traffic.
Asia-Pacific recorded the strongest percentage increase in premium travel, up 22.8% year-on-year to 21 million passengers, although economy-class growth in the region was even higher at 28.6%, reaching 500.8 million passengers.
In Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America, premium travel growth outpaced that of economy class.
Europe remained the largest market for international premium travel with 39.3 million passengers, while the Middle East led in market share terms, with premium travelers accounting for 14.7% of all passengers.
The Asia-Pacific region dominated global route rankings, with Jeju–Seoul (CJU–GMP) retaining its position as the busiest air corridor in the world, carrying 13.2 million passengers in 2024. Of the global top 10 airport pairs, only Jeddah–Riyadh (JED–RUH) fell outside the Asia-Pacific region.
Regional leaders included:
Narrowbody models from Boeing and Airbus remained the industry’s workhorses:
Measured by total departing and arriving passengers (domestic and international):
The 2024 WATS report reaffirms the continued recovery and diversification of global air travel, with premium-class growth signaling a resilient demand for higher service levels. Asia-Pacific’s dominance in high-traffic airport pairs underscores its pivotal role in shaping global route networks, while narrowbody aircraft remain central to operational efficiency.
IATA notes that sustained growth will depend on market stability, infrastructure readiness, and regulatory alignment, especially as the industry adapts to evolving passenger trends and environmental imperatives.
Source: https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-08-04-01/
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