Worldwide demand for air travel kept growing in March, as reported.
new data
as stated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The overall demand, calculated in revenue passenger kilometers, saw an increase of 3.3% compared to the previous year; however, total capacity rose by 5.3%. As for load factors, they 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 an increase of 9.9 percent. Meanwhile, European carriers experienced a rise of 4.9 percent compared to the previous year.
Airlines from the Middle East and North America were the sole ones to experience a drop, with declines of 1.0 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively. According to IATA, the timing of Ramadan was a significant factor contributing to the decrease in travel demand in the Middle East.
North America was
the sole area where air travel demand witnessed a drop
In February, this was marked by a 1.5 percent decrease.
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 about how tariffs and other economic obstacles might affect 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 trend of expansion in global air travel. This underscores the urgency of addressing issues related to managing increased passenger volumes—particularly resolving supply chain bottlenecks and guaranteeing 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 regarding expenditure on travel within America:
We presently have a trade deficit of $571 million.
Moreover, American consumers spend more of their funds abroad compared to how much foreign tourists spend inside the United States.
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