The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data on the global air transport market for May 2025. Both the passenger and cargo segments showed year-over-year growth, DKnews.kz reports.
Passenger Traffic
- Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), rose by 5.0% compared to May 2024. Total available seat kilometers (ASK), a measure of capacity, also increased by 5.0% year-on-year. The passenger load factor (PLF) for May stood at 83.4%, down 0.1 percentage points from May 2024.
- International demand grew by 6.7% year-over-year. Capacity increased by 6.4%, and the load factor reached 83.2% — an all-time high for international flights in May, up 0.2 percentage points.
- Domestic demand rose by 2.1% compared to May 2024. Capacity grew by 2.8%, while the load factor was 83.7%, down 0.5 percentage points.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh commented:
“The growth in air travel demand in May was uneven. Globally, the industry recorded a 5% increase, led by the Asia-Pacific region with 9.4%. In contrast, North America saw a decline of 0.5%, including a 1.7% drop in the U.S. domestic market. Events in the Middle East at the end of June reminded us that geopolitical instability continues to impact the industry. Nevertheless, airlines are maintaining safe operations in the region with minimal disruption to passengers. Such instability and its potential effect on oil prices — which remained low throughout May — must be closely monitored. What matters most is that consumer confidence remains high, with forward bookings for the peak northern hemisphere summer season showing positive momentum.”
Passenger Traffic Details – May 2025 (% change vs. May 2024)
| Region | Market share* | RPK | ASK | Load Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 100.0% | +5.0% | +5.0% | 83.4% (-0.1 pts) |
| Africa | 2.2% | +7.5% | +4.6% | 75.3% (+2.0 pts) |
| Asia-Pacific | 33.6% | +9.4% | +7.1% | 83.8% (+1.8 pts) |
| Europe | 26.7% | +3.4% | +3.9% | 84.7% (-0.4 pts) |
| Latin America | 5.3% | +8.5% | +9.6% | 82.2% (-0.8 pts) |
| Middle East | 9.4% | +6.2% | +6.7% | 80.7% (-0.4 pts) |
| North America | 22.9% | -0.5% | +2.0% | 83.4% (-2.1 pts) |
*Based on 2024 RPK market share.
Regional Overview – International Passenger Traffic
International RPK rose by 6.7% year-over-year, with growth observed across all regions. The global average load factor increased by 0.2 percentage points, although growth was unevenly distributed. Most international routes to the Americas showed slower performance, except for the transatlantic market, which saw a 2.5% increase.
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The Africa–Asia route was the fastest-growing international corridor, with 15.9% growth year-over-year.
| Region | RPK | ASK | Load Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia-Pacific | +13.3% | +10.6% | 84.0% (+2.0 pts) |
| Europe | +4.1% | +4.8% | 84.0% (-0.6 pts) |
| North America | +1.4% | +1.7% | 83.8% (-0.3 pts) |
| Middle East | +6.2% | +6.3% | 80.9% (-0.1 pts) |
| Latin America | +8.8% | +11.0% | 83.6% (-1.7 pts) |
| Africa | +9.5% | +6.2% | 74.9% (+2.2 pts) |
Domestic Passenger Traffic Overview
Domestic traffic increased by 2.1% compared to May 2024, while the load factor decreased by 0.5 percentage points to 83.7%, with capacity growing by 2.8%. All regions experienced growth except the United States, where the decline is linked to economic slowdown and reduced government-related travel.
China’s domestic traffic continued to accelerate month over month since March. Brazil also demonstrated steady growth since January 2023.
| Market | Market share* | RPK | ASK | Load Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 38.2% | +2.1% | +2.8% | 83.7% (-0.5 pts) |
| Australia | 0.8% | +1.0% | 0.0% | 79.2% (+0.8 pts) |
| Brazil | 1.1% | +18.3% | +15.7% | 81.2% (+1.8 pts) |
| China | 11.3% | +7.4% | +4.8% | 84.3% (+2.0 pts) |
| India | 1.6% | +3.1% | +9.6% | 83.5% (–5.3 pts) |
| Japan | 1.0% | +5.8% | -1.1% | 76.9% (+5.0 pts) |
| United States | 14.4% | -1.7% | +2.0% | 83.0% (-3.1 pts) |
*Based on 2024 domestic RPK market share (these six markets accounted for 30.2% of global demand and 79.1% of total domestic capacity).
Air Cargo Market
- Overall demand, measured in cargo tonne kilometers (CTK), increased by 2.2% year-on-year (+3.0% for international markets).
- Available capacity (ACTK) rose by 2.0% year-on-year (+2.6% for international markets).
Willie Walsh commented:
“Global demand for air cargo grew by 2.2% in May. This is an encouraging sign, especially considering the 10.7% drop in traffic on the Asia–North America corridor, which reflects the negative impact of recent changes in U.S. trade policy. Despite these challenges, the air cargo sector continues to demonstrate resilience, helping shippers adjust their supply chains by pausing, rerouting, or accelerating shipments as needed.”
Key Economic Factors Affecting the Market:
- In April 2025, global industrial production increased by 2.6% year-over-year. Air cargo volumes rose by 6.8%, outpacing the 3.8% growth in global trade.
- Jet fuel prices in May 2025 were 18.8% lower than in May 2024 and 4.3% lower than in April 2025.
- Global manufacturing contracted in May: the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 49.1, below the growth threshold of 50. New export orders also remained in contraction territory (48), indicating continued pressure from U.S. trade policy changes.
Air Cargo Performance – May 2025 (% change vs. May 2024)
| Region | Market share* | CTK | ACTK | Load Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 100.0% | +2.2% | +2.0% | 44.5% (+0.1 pts) |
| Africa | 2.0% | -2.1% | +2.7% | 42.2% (-2.0 pts) |
| Asia-Pacific | 34.2% | +8.3% | +5.7% | 46.1% (+1.1 pts) |
| Europe | 21.5% | +1.6% | +1.5% | 51.8% (0.0 pts) |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 2.9% | +3.1% | +3.5% | 36.1% (-0.2 pts) |
| Middle East | 13.6% | +3.6% | +4.2% | 46.3% (-0.3 pts) |
| North America | 25.8% | -5.8% | -3.2% | 38.2% (-1.1 pts) |
*Share based on full-year 2024 CTK.
Cargo Trade Lanes – May 2025 Performance
| Lane | Year-on-Year Growth | Notes | Market Share* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia – North America | -10.7% | — | 24.4% |
| Europe – Asia | +13.4% | 27 consecutive months of growth | 20.5% |
| Middle East – Europe | -0.9% | — | 5.7% |
| Middle East – Asia | +10.8% | 3 consecutive months of growth | 7.3% |
| Intra-Asia | +9.1% | 19 consecutive months of growth | 7.0% |
| North America – Europe | +8.2% | 16 consecutive months of growth | 13.3% |
| Africa – Asia | -14.6% | — | 1.4% |
*Based on full-year 2024 CTK figures.
