The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that global passenger demand grew 2.6% year-on-year in February 2025, a slower pace than January, partly due to seasonal factors like the leap year and Lunar New Year timing.
International demand rose 5.6%, with Asia-Pacific leading at 9.5% growth.
Domestic demand fell 1.9%, with North America (-4.2%) and China (-3.2%) showing the biggest declines.
The global load factor reached 81.1%, up 0.4 percentage points from February 2024.
IATA’s Willie Walsh warned that while demand remains strong, North America’s traffic decline and European passenger rights regulations need close attention, calling for reforms to EU261 to better distribute responsibility for delays.
