Worldwide demand for air travel kept rising in March, as reported.
new data
as stated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The overall demand, tracked in terms of revenue passenger kilometers, saw an increase of 3.3% compared to the previous year, while the available seating capacity rose by 5.3%. However, load factors decreased by 1.6% when compared to March 2024.
International demand continues to outpace domestic, increasing 4.9 percent from last year. Meanwhile, domestic demand increased at a smaller rate, 0.9 percent.
In the Asia-Pacific area, the most significant expansion occurred, with a rate of 9.9 percent. Meanwhile, European carriers experienced a growth of 4.9 percent compared to the previous year.
Airlines from the Middle East and North America were the sole decliners, reporting decreases of 1.0 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively. According to IATA, the timing of Ramadan significantly impacted the drop in travel demand within the Middle East region.
North America was
the sole area where air travel demand witnessed a decrease
In February, this showed a decrease of 1.5 percent.
Both the U.S. and Australia saw decreases of 1.7 percent and 1.2 percent respectively in their domestic air travel demand.
… There continues to be significant speculation regarding the possible effects of tariffs and other economic obstacles on travel,” stated Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “Although we must closely monitor the slight dip in demand within North America, the figures from March still indicate an overall worldwide trend towards growth in air travel. This underscores the urgency of addressing issues related to managing increased passenger volumes, particularly resolving supply chain bottlenecks and securing adequate airport and air traffic control capacities.
The information related to North America and the U.S. aligns with previously published data from the NTTO concerning American expenditure on travel.
We presently have a trade deficit of $571 million.
More U.S. residents are choosing to spend their money abroad compared to how much international tourists spend inside the country.
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