The International Air Transport Association (IATA), revealed that Global flight passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, was up by 16.6 per cent in January 2024.

Wakadaily learnt that the IATA, said the figure indicated a robust start to the year on Wednesday.

From the news gathered, a 20.8 per cent surge in international demand was noted, along with a 20.9 per cent increase in capacity. The load factor reached 79.7 per cent.

Domestic demand showed a 10.4 per cent rise, with capacity increasing by 4.6 per cent, and the load factor saw a 4.2 percentage point increase to 80.2 per cent.

Willie Walsh, the Director General of IATA, added that, “2024 is off to a strong start despite economic and geopolitical uncertainties. As governments look to build prosperity in their economies in the busiest election year ever, they must see aviation as a catalyst for growth.

“Increased taxes and onerous regulation are a counterweight to prosperity. We will be looking to governments for policies that help aviation to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and make progress towards net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.”

According to the report, African airlines observed an 18.5 per cent increase in traffic in January 2024 compared to the previous year.

“January capacity rose by 19.2 per cent, resulting in a slight decline of 0.4 percentage points in the load factor to 73.3 per cent, the lowest among all regions,” it added.

International Air Transport Association added that the growth in domestic demand remained driven by China, where there was robust demand for Lunar New Year travel, likely boosting traffic in February as well.

The report noted that the Chinese carriers responded by increasing capacity, specifically through the deployment of wide-body jets.