The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported a 4 per cent increase in global passenger demand in July 2025 compared with the same month last year, fuelled by strong summer travel activity.
According to data released on Thursday, overall capacity grew by 4.4 per cent year-on-year, while the global load factor edged down by 0.4 percentage points to 85.5 per cent.
International traffic climbed 5.3 per cent, with capacity rising 5.8 per cent and load factor at 85.6 per cent. Domestic demand also advanced, up 1.9 per cent with capacity expanding by 2.4 per cent, although the load factor slipped slightly to 85.2 per cent.
“It’s been a good northern summer season for airlines. Momentum has grown over the peak season with July demand reaching four per cent growth,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “That trend appears across all regions and is particularly evident for international travel.”
Performance across regions showed varied results:
Africa: Demand rose 2.8 per cent, supported by stronger Africa–Asia routes.
Asia-Pacific: Posted the second-fastest growth after Latin America, up 8.7 per cent.
Europe: Demand gained 4 per cent with a load factor of 87.3 per cent.
North America: Recorded 2.4 per cent growth, though North–South America routes weakened.
Middle East: Traffic rose 5.3 per cent, recovering from disruption linked to June’s conflict.
Latin America: Led the world with a 9.3 per cent surge in demand.
On the domestic front, Brazil continued to outperform, while Japan achieved a record July load factor of 81.4 per cent, its highest since at least 2000.
IATA added that early September indicators already point to a 2 per cent year-on-year rise in flight volumes, suggesting airlines are on track to sustain growth momentum through the coming months.