IATA: Passenger and Cargo Air Travel Demand Rose Over 5% in November 2025

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released global air transport data for November 2025, showing growth in both passenger and cargo traffic.

According to IATA, total global passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger-kilometers (RPK), increased by 5.7% compared to November 2024. Available seat-kilometers (ASK) rose by 5.4%, and the load factor reached a record 83.7% for November. The international segment recorded a 7.7% increase in RPK with an 84.0% load factor, while domestic traffic grew by 2.7%, with a stable load factor of 83.2%.

Regional trends remain varied: the strongest international demand growth was seen in Africa (+11.2% RPK) and Asia-Pacific (+9.3%), while North America slowed to +4.0%.

Domestic markets showed notable dynamics in Brazil (+8.3%) and India (+7.7%), whereas U.S. domestic passenger demand declined by 1.8%.

The air cargo segment also showed positive growth. Demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), increased by 5.5% compared to November 2024, capacity rose by 4.7%,

and the load factor reached 49.1%. Africa (+15.6% CTK) and the Asia-Pacific region (+10.3%) led the growth, while Latin America and North America experienced declines.

“In November 2025, strong demand for air transport persisted among both passengers and shippers, despite capacity constraints caused by supply chain disruptions and challenges in the aerospace sector. Ending the year on a high note provides a positive foundation for 2026,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh.

Global air travel growth was supported by increased international trade, a rebound in manufacturing, and strong demand from emerging markets.

Key route trends were mixed: intra-Asia traffic rose 15.8%, Europe–Asia routes increased 11.7%, while intra-Europe routes declined 4.9%.

IATA’s data indicate that air transport continues to recover from the crisis period, with rising demand necessitating further fleet expansion and capacity increases to meet airline needs.