Air travel demand (as measured in revenue passenger kilometers — RPKs) in July was up 8% compared with July 2023, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The July load factor was 86% (up 0.5 percentage point over July 2023). There was no significant demand impact from the CrowdStrike IT outage on July 19, according to IATA.
Willie Walsh, director general, said July was another positive month. In fact, he said, passenger demand hit an all-time high for the industry — and in all regions except Africa —despite significant disruption caused by the CrowdStrike IT outage.
The winding down of the peak northern summer season, said Walsh, is a reminder of how much people depend on flying. As the mix of travelers shifts from leisure to business, he said, aviation’s many roles are evident — reuniting families, enabling exploration and powering commerce.
Load factors are at the practicable maximum, Walsh said, but persistent supply chain bottlenecks have made deploying the capacity to meet the need to travel more challenging. As much of the world returns from vacation, he said, there is an urgent call for manufacturers and suppliers to resolve their supply chain issues so that air travel remains accessible and affordable to all those who rely on it.
In other results:
- International demand rose 10.1% compared with July 2023. Capacity was up 10.5% year-on-year, and the load factor fell to 85.9% (down 0.3 percentage points compared with July 2023).
- Domestic demand rose 4.8% compared with July 2023. Capacity was up 2.8% year on year, and the load factor was 86.1% (up 1.7 percentage points compared with July 2023).
- North American carriers saw a 5.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 6.3% year on year, and the load factor was 89.4% (down 0.8 percentage point compared with July 2023), the highest among all regions.
