African Airlines Achieve 13.2% Traffic Increase in 2024 – IATA

Capacity rose by 9.5%, with a load factor climbing to 74.5%

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its 2024 full-year and December 2024 global passenger market performance, showing record-high demand.

Record-High Global Demand

Total full-year traffic in 2024, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs), rose 10.4% compared to 2023, exceeding pre-pandemic (2019) levels by 3.8%. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), was up 8.7%, with an overall load factor reaching 83.5%, a record for full-year traffic.

MEA Regional Breakdown

Full-year international traffic surpassed the 2019 high by 0.5% in 2024, with growth across all regions.

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Middle East: 

Traffic rose 9.4% year-on-year. Capacity increased 8.4%, and load factor climbed 0.7 percentage points to 80.8%. December demand climbed 7.7% year-on-year.

Africa:

African airlines’ annual traffic rose 13.2% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Full-year capacity was up 9.5%, and load factor increased 2.5 percentage points to 74.5%, the lowest among regions but a record high for Africa. December 2024 traffic rose 12.4% over December 2023.

Commitment to Sustainability

IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh commented on the industry’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Despite record investments in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in 2024, less than 0.5% of fuel needs were met with SAF.

Walsh emphasised the need for governments to prioritise renewable fuel production to enhance national energy security and support economic growth through renewable energy subsidies.

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