African airlines saw a remarkable year-on-year 3.7% surge in load factor in the international passenger market, reaching 72.3% in May 2024, the fastest increase among all regions.
In the airline industry, the load factor is an essential performance metric that indicates the percentage of an airline’s available seats that are occupied by passengers.
This data is from the recently released International Air Transport Association (IATA) report for May 2024 global passenger demand.
The report shows that while African airlines achieved significant improvement in seat occupancy rates, they still lag behind other regions: Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 0.6% increase to 81.6%, European airlines saw a 0.3% rise to 84.7%, Middle East airlines saw a 0.5% increase to 80.7%, North American airlines experienced a 1.2% decline to 84.0%, and Latin American airlines saw a 1.2% rise to 85.1%.
“The load factor of African airlines rose to 72.3% (+3.7ppt compared to May 2023). This was the fastest increase in load factor among all regions, although Africa still has the lowest load factor overall,” the report read in part.
Providing more insight into the international passenger markets for airlines globally in May 2024, the IATA report shows that African airlines saw a 14.1% year-on-year increase in demand. Asia-Pacific airlines led with a 27.0% increase, while European carriers saw an 11.7% rise.
Middle Eastern airlines experienced a 9.7% increase, North American carriers saw an 8.1% rise, and Latin American airlines experienced a 15.9% increase in demand.
These figures highlight the varying levels of recovery and growth across different regions, reflecting the diverse dynamics and challenges faced by the global airline industry in the post-pandemic era.
More insights
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) report for May 2024 on global passenger demand shows that airline capacity in different regions of the world experienced significant growth.
Capacity in airlines refers to the total number of seats available for passengers on flights within a specific period, reflecting the airline’s ability to accommodate travellers through its fleet size, route network, and flight frequency.
According to the IATA report, Asia-Pacific airlines led with a 26.0% year-on-year increase in capacity. This was followed by Latin American airlines, which saw a capacity climb of 14.3% year-on-year.
European carriers came next, with an 11.3% year-on-year increase in capacity. North American carriers experienced a 9.7% year-on-year increase in capacity, closely followed by Middle Eastern airlines, which saw a 9.0% year-on-year increase.
African airlines had the smallest growth among the regions, with a capacity increase of 8.2% year-on-year.
This data highlights the robust recovery and expansion efforts across various regions, with significant demand for air travel contributing to the overall growth in airline capacity.
