The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a 14.1% year-on-year increase in passenger demand for African airlines in May 2024.
Capacity for African airlines also rose by 8.2% year-on-year, demonstrating a healthy expansion to accommodate the increased demand.
The load factor for May stood at 72.3%, a 3.7 percentage point improvement compared to the same period in 2023. Despite this growth, Africa has the lowest load factor overall.
Globally, the total demand for air travel, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), rose by 10.7% compared to May 2023.
Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), increased by 8.5% year-on-year. The global load factor reached a record high of 83.4%, up 1.7 percentage points from May 2023.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, said “Strong demand for travel continues with airlines posting a 10.7% year-on-year increase in travel for May. Airlines filled 83.4% of their seats, a record for the month. With May ticket sales for early peak-season travel up nearly 6%, the growth trend shows no signs of abating.”
International demand rose by 14.6% compared to May 2023, with capacity up 14.1% year-on-year and the load factor improving to 82.8%, a 0.3 percentage point increase.
Domestic demand also saw a rise, with a 4.7% year-on-year increase, while capacity remained relatively flat at a 0.1% increase, and the load factor climbed to 84.5%, up 3.8 percentage points from May 2023.
However, Walsh highlighted ongoing challenges, particularly in air navigation service providers (ANSPs), which have faced significant delays.
“With 5.2 million minutes of air traffic control delays racked up in Europe even before the peak season begins, it is clear that Europe’s ANSPs have unresolved challenges,” he noted. “Airlines are accountable to their customers; ANSPs must be as well.”
Breaking down the data by region, Asia-Pacific airlines led the way with a 27.0% year-on-year increase in demand, maintaining their position as the largest contributor to industry-wide growth.
European carriers saw an 11.7% increase, while Middle Eastern airlines posted a 9.7% rise.
North American carriers experienced an 8.1% increase, and Latin American airlines saw a notable 15.9% growth in demand.
Despite the global uptick, the focus on Africa’s significant growth is a testament to the region’s potential. The impressive increase in demand and capacity highlights the resilience and opportunity within the African aviation market.
