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One Year of Solid Growth: IATA Releases 2024 World Air Transport Statistics Report

Dergam Mousa

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published its annual World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) 2024 report, a comprehensive snapshot of global aviation based on data from over 240 airlines. This year’s edition highlights a strong rebound in air traffic, particularly in premium classes, and reveals key shifts in major markets, routes, and aircraft models.

Business and First-Class Travel: Growth Outpaces Economy

One of the report’s most notable findings is the 11.8% growth in international premium-class travel (business and first class), slightly surpassing the 11.5% increase in economy-class travel.

In total, 116.9 million passengers flew premium, accounting for 6% of international travelers. The Asia-Pacific region led in percentage growth, with a 22.8% year-on-year increase, reaching 21 million premium passengers. However, economy-class travel in the same region grew even more, by 28.6%, with 500.8 million passengers.

By volume, Europe remained the largest premium travel market, with 39.3 million passengers, while the Middle East had the highest proportion of premium travelers relative to total passengers, at 14.7%.

Asia Dominates the World’s Busiest Routes

Asia-Pacific’s leadership is also evident in the world’s busiest routes. The Jeju-Seoul route in South Korea once again topped the list, with 13.2 million passengers in 2024. Nine of the top 10 busiest global routes are in Asia, with the sole exception being Saudi Arabia’s domestic Jeddah-Riyadh connection.

Key Routes by Region:

Airbus A320 Family Leads Global Air Activity

The WATS report’s fleet analysis shows a clear dominance of Airbus and Boeing narrow-body aircraft.

Most Used Aircraft in 2024:

Airbus A320 Family (A319, A320, A321):
— 12.7 million flights
— 3.30 trillion ASKs (Available Seat Kilometers)

Boeing 737 (all variants):
— 10 million flights
— 2.44 trillion ASKs

A standout detail is the growth of the Airbus A220, with a 21.7% increase in flight frequency and a 20.4% rise in ASKs, solidifying its position as an expanding option among modern aircraft.

U.S. and China Top Passenger Rankings

The U.S. air travel market remains the world’s largest, with 876 million passengers, driven by a robust domestic sector that grew by 5.2%.

China was the second-largest market, with 741 million passengers, reflecting an impressive 18.7% growth as the sector fully rebounded from pandemic lockdowns.

Other Notable Passenger Volumes:

The WATS 2024 report paints an optimistic picture for the aviation industry. With record-breaking traffic, fleet expansion, and popular routes, the sector continues to solidify its post-pandemic recovery.

For airlines, airports, and manufacturers, the challenge now is to sustain this momentum through more efficient, sustainable, and passenger-focused operations.

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