The demand for air travel is up 7.1% year over year, according to Middle Eastern carriers.

The demand for air travel, as shown by revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), increased significantly in September, rising 7.1% year over year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

MUSCAT: In September, the load factor increased by one percentage point to 83.6%, while the overall seat capacity, expressed in available seat kilometers (ASKs), increased 5.8% year over year, according to IATA data.

With a 9.2% increase in demand over the previous year, international travel was the most popular. While the worldwide load factor increased marginally to 83.8%, capacity expanded by 9.1%. With a 0.7% capacity increase and an increased load rate of 83.3%, domestic travel also saw a remarkable increase of 3.7%, adding 2.4 percentage points.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh reflected on the expansion, pointing out that demand has surged to an unprecedented level during this year’s peak travel season. However, he also cautioned about an impending challenge, highlighting the necessity of proactive government support to sustain the industry’s growth while committing to net-zero emissions by 2050.

IAirlines across all regions indicated growth in a breakdown of global demand:

Asia-Pacific: In the lead, demand increased by 18.5%, capacity increased by 17.7%, and the load factor increased to 82.6%.

Demand increased by 7.6%, capacity increased by 7.4%, and the load factor increased to 85.9% in Europe.

Middle East: Although the load factor slightly decreased to 81.4%, demand increased by 4.4% and capacity increased by 4.6%.

Demand in North America increased by a moderate 0.5%, while capacity increased by 1.9% and the load factor decreased to 84.4%.

In Latin America, demand increased by 12.4%, capacity increased by 13.9%, and the load factor slightly decreased to 84.3%.

Africa: Demand increased by 11.9%, capacity increased by 6.6%, and the load factor increased by 76%.

In September, traffic reached record levels in all major domestic markets, with the exception of Japan.

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