Global Air Travel Sees 5% Growth in May 2025, Led by Strong International Demand

Air travel continued to climb in May 2025, according to the latest report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), with both international and domestic markets showing varied momentum.

1. Overall Passenger Traffic

Passenger demand worldwide (measured in RPK—Revenue Passenger Kilometers) rose by 5% compared to May last year. Airlines also increased seating capacity (ASK—Available Seat Kilometers) by 5%, maintaining a solid global load factor of 83.4%, which is nearly unchanged from last year.

2. International Travel Hits New Record

International air travel saw a strong rebound, growing by 6.7% compared to May 2024. Airline capacity on global routes rose by 6.4%, while the load factor reached a record 83.2% for May, indicating fuller flights and healthy demand on international routes.

3. Domestic Travel Grows, but More Modestly

Demand for domestic flights was up 2.1% year-on-year, with a 2.8% increase in available seats. However, the load factor dipped slightly to 83.7%, down 0.5 percentage points from the previous year.

Regional Highlights

• Asia-Pacific led global growth with a strong 9.4% surge in passenger traffic.
• North America bucked the trend with a 0.5% decline, largely due to a 1.7% drop in U.S. domestic travel.

IATA also highlighted recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East (late June) as a reminder that instability can disrupt operations, although airlines have so far managed to keep passenger impact minimal. While oil prices stayed low in May, any changes driven by global unrest could still affect future fares and airline planning. Despite regional fluctuations, traveller confidence remains strong, with forward bookings for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere summer season looking promising.

“While growth was uneven, the overall trend is encouraging. Demand is strong, especially for international travel, and summer bookings give us reason to be optimistic,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

What This Means for Travellers:

• Expect busy airports and full flights on international routes this summer.
• Asia-Pacific destinations are booming—good to book early.
• Fares may remain stable in the short term, but geopolitical developments could impact fuel costs and prices later.

Air Passenger Market in Detail for May 2025

Regional Breakdown - International Passenger Markets

International RPK growth reached 6.7% in May year-on-year, with growth in all regions but a mixed picture on load-factors, which increased only by 0.2 ppt. Traffic expansion on most key international routes to the Americas slowed in May, apart from Transatlantic with a modest 2.5% year-on-year increase.

Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a 13.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 10.6% year-on-year, and the load factor was 84.0% (+2.0 ppt compared to May 2024).

European carriers had a 4.1% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 4.8% year-on-year, and the load factor was 84.0% (-0.6 ppt compared to May 2024).

North American carriers saw a 1.4% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 1.7% year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.8% (-0.3 ppt compared to May 2024).

Middle Eastern carriers saw an 6.2% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 6.3% year-on-year, and the load factor was 80.9% (-0.1 ppt compared to May 2024).

Latin American airlines saw an 8.8% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity climbed 11.0% year-on-year. The load factor was 83.6% (-1.7 ppt compared to May 2024).

African airlines saw a 9.5% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 6.2% year-on-year. The load factor was 74.9% (+2.2 ppt compared to May 2024). Africa-Asia is the fastest-growing international corridor, with an expansion of 15.9%.

Domestic Air Travel: Modest Growth with Regional Contrasts

Domestic air travel across the globe grew by 2.1% in May 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to IATA data. However, despite more passengers flying, the average load factor (how full flights are) dipped slightly to 83.7%, down 0.5 percentage points. This comes as airlines expanded their seat capacity by 2.8% year-on-year.

Regional Highlights:

• United States: Domestic air travel in the U.S. was the only major market to see a decline, driven by an economic slowdown and reduced government-related travel.
• China: Domestic travel demand continues to gain momentum, showing stronger growth each month since March 2025.
• Brazil: The Brazilian market remained a standout performer, marking consistent growth since January 2023—highlighting strong traveler confidence and market resilience.

Note: the six domestic passenger markets for which broken-down data are available account for approximately 30.2% of global total RPKs and 79.1% of total domestic RPKs.

Explanation of measurement terms:

- RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometers measures actual passenger traffic

- ASK: Available Seat Kilometers measures available passenger capacity

- PLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used.

Disclaimer: The data presented in this article is sourced from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and reflects air travel trends as of May 2025. Figures are subject to updates or revisions by IATA.

Leave A Reply

Your email will not be published. Required fields are marked.