Global Air Travel Demand Hits Record High in 2025 📈

Global air passenger demand rose 5.3% in 2025, returning to historical growth patterns. This surge drove the passenger load factor (PLF) to a record 83.6%, reflecting high efficiency in filling seats despite significant supply chain constraints. • Sector Performance: • International Demand: Surged 7.1% YoY, reaching a record load factor of 83.5%. • Domestic Demand: Grew by 2.4%, with a load factor of 83.7%. • Capacity: Total available seats increased by 5.2% globally. • Regional Highlights: • Asia-Pacific: The top performer with 10.9% growth in international traffic and the highest load factor (84.4%). • Africa: Recorded the strongest load factor improvement (+0.9 ppt) to a record 74.9%. • North America: Reported the slowest growth at 2.1%. • Economic Implications: The aviation sector faced over US$ 11 Bn in extra costs due to supply chain delays for aircraft and engines. For Sri Lanka, this global momentum supported a historic milestone, with total tourist arrivals reaching a record 2.36 Mn in 2025 (up 15.1% YoY). • Challenges: IATA identifies decarbonization (via Sustainable Aviation Fuel) and supply chain reliability as the primary hurdles for sustaining this growth into 2026.