African Airlines Record 9.5% Passenger Demand Growth in May 2025: IATA
Africa–Asia traffic expands 15.9%; African load factor climbs to 74.9%.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported a 5.0% year-on-year increase in global passenger demand for May 2025 (measured in RPKs).
Total Capacity (ASK) also rose by 5.0%, with a global load factor of 83.4%, down slightly by 0.1 percentage points from May 2024.
International traffic grew by 6.7%, with capacity up 6.4% and a record May load factor of 83.2%.
Domestic demand rose by 2.1%, while capacity increased 2.8%, resulting in a load factor of 83.7%.
“Air travel demand growth was uneven in May. Globally, the industry reported 5% growth with Asia-Pacific taking the lead at 9.4%. The outlier was North America which reported a 0.5% decline, led by a 1.7% fall in the US domestic market,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
“Severe disruptions in the Middle East in late June remind us that geopolitical instability remains a challenge in some regions… Importantly, consumer confidence appears to be strong with forward bookings for the peak Northern summer travel season.”
Regional Breakdown – Africa & Middle East
Africa
African airlines recorded a 9.5% year-on-year increase in demand in May 2025. Capacity rose by 6.2%, and the load factor improved by 2.2 percentage points to 74.9%. The Africa–Asia corridor remained the fastest-growing international route, expanding by 15.9% year-on-year.
Middle East
Middle Eastern carriers saw a 6.2% increase in demand, with capacity up 6.3%. The region’s load factor stood at 80.9%, a slight dip of 0.1 percentage points compared to May 2024.