Global Air Travel Demand Surges 8% in April 2025; India Sees Over 10% Domestic Growth, ET TravelWorld

Image credit – iStock-868924070 (2)The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported a robust 8 per cent year-on-year increase in global passenger demand for April 2025, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK). Capacity rose by 6.5 per cent globally, and the load factor climbed to 83.6 per cent, up 1.1 percentage points compared to April 2024.

International markets led the upswing with a 10.8 per cent growth in demand. Capacity grew by 8.5 per cent, and the load factor reached 84.1 per cent, the highest ever recorded for April. Domestically, passenger traffic rose by 3.3 per cent, with capacity up by 3.1 per cent and a near-steady load factor of 82.7 per cent.

Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA, commented, “April was a positive month for travel. Growth strengthened, especially for international demand which saw record load factors for the month. The return of the transatlantic market to growth is particularly encouraging.”

The report highlighted India’s domestic aviation strength, noting over 10 per cent year-on-year growth in April. “The development of India’s air connectivity in recent years has been nothing short of phenomenal, making this year’s gathering a timely and powerful reminder for all on how aviation connectivity drives growth and development,” said Walsh, ahead of the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting in New Delhi.

Regionally, Asia-Pacific led international growth with a 14.4 per cent rise in RPK, followed by Latin America (13.9 per cent), Africa (13.6 per cent), and the Middle East (11.2 per cent). Europe and North America posted more moderate increases of 9.4 per cent and 5.4 per cent, respectively. However, North America reported a 26 per cent decline in First and Business class travel, marking a notable trend.

Domestically, only the US recorded a contraction in traffic (-0.5 per cent) for the third consecutive month, while India and Brazil saw strong double-digit growth.

• Published On May 30, 2025 at 11:31 AM IST

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