The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for September 2025 global passenger demand, highlighting several key trends.

Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), increased by 3.6% compared to September 2024.

Alongside this, total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), saw a rise of 3.7% year-on-year.

 The load factor for September stood at 83.4%, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to the same month in the previous year.

In terms of international travel, demand rose by 5.1% compared to September 2024, with capacity increasing by 5.2% year-on-year. The load factor for international flights was recorded at 83.6%, also down by 0.1 percentage points from September 2024.

On the domestic front, demand experienced a more modest increase of 0.9% compared to September 2024. Capacity for domestic flights was up by 1.1% year-on-year, resulting in a load factor of 83.0%, which similarly saw a decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous year.

“Solid international demand drove 90% of September’s 3.6% overall growth. Importantly, the capacity expansion slightly nudged ahead of demand growth at 3.7%. Load factors, nonetheless, remained very strong at 83.4%. With November flight schedules indicating a 3% expansion on the previous year, airlines are gearing up for continued growth into the year-end holiday season. This is despite the severe constraints of unresolved supply chain issues,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Regional Breakdown - International Passenger Markets

International RPK growth reached 5.1% in September year-on-year, and growth was seen in all regions. The only region to show a significant load factor improvement was Asia-Pacific.

Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a 7.4% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 6.1% year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.3% (+1.0 ppt compared to September 2024). Intra-Asia travel was the strongest driver of growth with a 9.4% increase, led primarily by traffic from China and Japan.

European carriers had a 4.0% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 4.4% year-on-year, and the load factor was 85.6% (-0.3 ppt compared to September 2024).

North American carriers saw a 2.5% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 4.3% year-on-year, and the load factor was 82.9% (-1.5 ppt compared to September 2024). The North America-Asia corridor showed weak growth of just 0.9%. By contrast, North America-South America traffic bounced back from its August decline, with growth of 1.1%.

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 6.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 6.2% year-on-year, and the load factor was 81.9% (unchanged compared to September 2024).

Latin American airlines saw a 5.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity climbed 6.8% year-on-year. The load factor was 83.3% (-1.2 ppt compared to September 2024).

African airlines saw a 5.3% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 5.1% year-on-year. The load factor was 74.7% (+0.1 ppt compared to September 2024).

Domestic Passenger Markets

Domestic RPK rose 0.9% over September 2024 and load factor fell by 0.1 ppt to 83.0% on the back of a 1.1% capacity expansion. Brazil continues to lead the way with a double-digit expansion. By contrast, the decline in US domestic travel accelerated to -1.7% and its load factor is the weakest of the major domestic markets. -TradeArabia News Service