According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s passenger demand report for the period that ended in November 2025, global air passenger demand increased by 5.7 percent.
Among the key findings presented in the report include how total demand measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was up 5.7 percent compared to November 2024.
Meanwhile, total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), increased 5.4 percent year-on-year with load factor at 83.7 percent, a record high for November.
International demand was up 7.7 percent compared to November 2024, with capacity at 7.1 percent year-on-year, and the load factor was 84 percent.
On the other hand, domestic demand increased by 2.7 percent from where it was in November 2024, showing capacity of 2.7 percent and a load factor of 83.2 percent.
According to IATA director-general Willie Walsh: “November 2025 saw continued strong demand for air travel with year-on-year growth of 5.7 percent. Load factors reached a new record of 83.7 percent for the month as airlines continued to satisfy growing passenger demand amid continuing capacity constraints stemming from challenges in the aerospace supply chain. The new year’s resolution for the manufacturing sector must be to increase production to meet the needs of their airline customers. The backlog of more than 17,000 aircraft orders that we reached in 2025 must be reduced in 2026.”
Passenger market performance for the period
International RPK growth was a healthy 7.7 percent in November year-on-year.
The international load factor was also a November record high at 84 percent .
Compared to October, growth was slightly down in all regions except Africa.
- Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a 9.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 8.7% year-on-year, and the load factor was 85.8% (+0.5 ppt compared to November 2024). Geopolitical tensions led to traffic between China and Japan slowing to single-digit growth for the first time in 2025.
- European carriers had a 6.8% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 6.1% year-on-year, and the load factor was 85.6% (+0.5 ppt compared to November 2024).
- North American carriers saw a 4.0% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 4.2% year-on-year, and the load factor was 81.0% (-0.1 ppt compared to November 2024). Looking at total traffic, North America has seen 10 consecutive months of year-on-year decline in load factor.
- Middle Eastern carriers saw a 9.6% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 9.2% year-on-year, and the load factor was 81.4% (+0.3 ppt compared to November 2024).
- Latin American airlines saw a 4.4% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity climbed 4.7% year-on-year. The load factor was 83.9% (-0.2 ppt compared to November 2024).
- African airlines were the stand-out performer, with an 11.2% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 8.5% year-on-year. The load factor was 74.3% (+1.8 ppt compared to November 2024).
With regard to the domestic passenger market, domestic RPK rose 2.7 percent over November 2024 and load factor was steady at 83.2 percent on the back of a 2.7 percent capacity expansion.
Brazil and India were the fastest-growing markets, but US domestic traffic was the only major market to see a fall in demand, perhaps due to the government shutdown.
