IATA’s 2024 World Air Transport Statistics Reveal Asia Pacific Growth

The WATS database serves as a vital resource for industry stakeholders, detailing scheduled passenger and cargo demand, capacity utilization, and the makeup of the global airline fleet.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published the latest edition of its annual World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), offering an extensive compilation of global airline data for 2024. Drawing on submissions from over 240 international airlines, the report provides a comprehensive overview of passenger and cargo traffic, fleet composition, operational performance, and financial health of the air transport industry.

Comprehensive Industry Metrics

The WATS database serves as a vital resource for industry stakeholders, detailing scheduled passenger and cargo demand, capacity utilization, and the makeup of the global airline fleet. Financial insights include operating costs, revenues, aircraft utilization rates, and workforce size, helping analysts and decision-makers understand current trends and challenges.

Premium Travel Leads Growth Globally

One of the standout findings in the 2024 report is the continued robust expansion of international premium-class travel—covering both business and first-class segments—which grew by 11.8%, slightly outpacing the 11.5% growth observed in economy-class travel. In total, 116.9 million passengers traveled internationally in premium classes, representing 6% of all international air travelers.

The Asia Pacific region led premium class growth with a remarkable 22.8% year-on-year increase, serving 21 million premium passengers. However, economy class travel in the region expanded even faster, growing by 28.6% to reach 500.8 million passengers. Other regions where premium travel outpaced economy growth included Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Europe remained the largest market for premium international travelers, with 39.3 million passengers, while the Middle East recorded the highest premium travel share—14.7% of all travelers.

Regional Passenger Traffic Highlights

• Asia Pacific: Continued dominance with strong growth in both economy and premium segments.

• Europe: Largest market in premium travel volume, with steady increases in all classes.

• Latin America: Robust growth in premium travel, supported by increasing business and leisure demand.

• Middle East: Highest proportion of premium travelers globally, reflecting its role as a transit hub.

• North America: Solid growth in premium travel paralleling stable economy segment expansion.

Top Airport Pairs Reflect Asia Pacific Dominance

Asia Pacific airports dominated the rankings for the busiest air routes worldwide. The Jeju-Seoul (CJU-GMP) corridor topped the list, with 13.2 million passengers flying between the two airports in 2024. The region accounted for nine of the top ten busiest airport pairs globally. The only exception was the Jeddah-Riyadh (JED-RUH) route in the Middle East.

In other regions, notable busiest routes included:

• Latin America: Bogota-Medellin (BOG-MDE) with 3.8 million passengers.

• Africa: Cape Town-Johannesburg (CPT-JNB) at 3.3 million passengers.

• North America: New York JFK-Los Angeles LAX (JFK-LAX) carrying 2.2 million passengers.

• Europe: Barcelona-Palma de Mallorca (BCN-PMI) with 2 million passengers.

Most Utilized Aircraft Models

Narrowbody jets continue to dominate airline operations globally. The Boeing 737 family remained the most frequently flown aircraft, logging 10 million flights and generating 2.4 trillion Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), reflecting a 6% increase in flight frequency and a 9.5% rise in ASKs compared to 2023.

Following closely were the Airbus A320 series aircraft: the A320 model operated 7.9 million flights with 1.7 trillion ASKs, and the A321 model, increasingly popular due to its range and efficiency, flew 3.4 million flights with 1.1 trillion ASKs, marking double-digit growth in both flights and ASKs.

The Airbus A220 also showed significant growth with a 21.7% increase in flights and 20.4% increase in ASKs, indicating rising adoption of this fuel-efficient narrowbody jet.

Leading Passenger Markets in 2024

The United States remained the world’s largest aviation market in 2024, with a total of 876 million passengers—both domestic and international—reflecting a 5.2% growth year-on-year. China continued its rapid recovery and growth, securing the second spot with 741 million passengers, an 18.7% increase driven by rising domestic and international demand.

Other major passenger markets included:

• United Kingdom: 261 million passengers, up 7.3%

• Spain: 241 million passengers, up 10.7%

• India: 211 million passengers, up 11.1%

• Japan: 205 million passengers, up 18.6%

These figures illustrate the strong rebound and expansion of global air travel following the disruptions of recent years, with particularly dynamic growth in Asia and emerging markets.

Outlook and Industry Implications

The WATS 2024 report highlights key trends shaping the future of air transport: a surge in premium travel reflecting evolving consumer preferences, the continuing importance of efficient narrowbody aircraft, and the dominance of Asia Pacific as a growth engine. The data also underscore the necessity for airlines, airports, and regulators to adapt to shifting demand patterns, invest in capacity and customer experience enhancements, and focus on sustainability initiatives.

As global aviation recovers and expands, the IATA World Air Transport Statistics remain an essential tool for stakeholders to monitor market dynamics and make informed decisions for strategic growth.