The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released 2025 full-year and December 2025 passenger market performance showing record high demand. 

Total full-year demand in 2025 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 5.3% compared to 2024. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), was up 5.2% in 2025. The overall passenger load factor (PLF) reached 83.6%, up 0.1 ppt and a record for full-year traffic.

International full-year demand in 2025 increased 7.1% compared to 2024, and capacity rose 6.8%. The full year international load factor was 83.5%, a rise of 0.2 ppt on 2024. This was also a record high for international PLF. 

Domestic full-year demand for 2025 rose 2.4% compared to the prior year, while capacity expanded by 2.5%. The load factor for the full year averaged 83.7%, down -0.1 ppt compared to 2024.

December 2025 was a strong finish to the year with overall demand rising 5.6% year-on-year, capacity growing by 5.9%, and a load factor of 83.7%. 

Regional Breakdown - International Markets 

Full-year international traffic rose by 7.1% compared to 2024, while capacity rose 6.8%. For the month of December, international demand grew by 7.7%, capacity increased 7.9%, and the load factor declined by 0.1 ppt (compared to December 2024) to 83.9%.

Domestic Markets

Domestic full-year demand reached record highs for passenger numbers and load factors. Growth slowed compared to the strong rebound in 2024. The standout performer for 2025 Domestic RPK was Brazil, which increased 11.1% over 2024. The United States saw its domestic market contract by -0.6%. The sharpest increase in load factor was in Japan (+3.4 ppt), in contrast to the United States, which registered the heaviest fall (-1.9 ppt). Although domestic Indian travel also had a sharp (-1.2 ppt) fall in load factor, it still registered the highest load factor overall (85.2%). Australia had the lowest load factor, but this was still a relatively healthy 81.2%.