Buenos Aires, November 28 (NA). - Latin American airlines experienced a year-on-year increase in demand of 7.2% in October, while seat capacity offered increased by 8.2% year-on-year, with a load factor standing at 84.6% (-0.8 pp compared to October 2024). The data comes from the monthly report that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) published today on global passenger demand, to which the Argentine News Agency had access. Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), increased by 6.6% compared to October 2024. Capacity increased by 7.1% year-on-year and the load factor was 84.6% (1.1 pp more than in October 2024). “Domestic demand increased by 3.4% compared to October 2024. International demand increased by 8.5% compared to October 2024. The load factor in October was 84.6% (0.7 pp more than in October 2024). Capacity increased by 3.6% year-on-year. The load factor was 84.6% (0.1 pp more than in October 2024). Capacity increased by 5.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 74.1% (+1.4 percentage points compared to October 2024). Domestic Passenger Markets Domestic RPK increased by 3.4% compared to October 2024 and the load factor decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 84.6%, thanks to a capacity expansion of 3.6%. All regions, except the Americas, experienced improvements in load factors. Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a year-on-year demand increase of 10.9%. Considering the uncertainty of economic prospects for 2026, the resilience of air travel demand, with the employment and growth it brings, is a positive point that governments should take care of with great care”. International Passenger Markets The growth of international RPK reached 8.5% year-on-year in October, with double-digit growth in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Capacity increased by 9.1% year-on-year and the load factor stood at 84.4% (+1.4 pp compared to October 2024). International traffic within Asia performed exceptionally well, with traffic to/from China, Japan, and Vietnam experiencing particularly robust expansions, each exceeding 10% year-on-year growth. European airlines recorded a year-on-demand increase of 7.4%. Brazil's internal growth of 12.4% was the most outstanding result. October was a solid month for air travel, with a 6.6% increase in demand compared to the previous year. The transatlantic corridor expanded by 3.8% year-on-year in October, a modest improvement over the 3.3% increase in September. Middle Eastern airlines experienced a year-on-year demand increase of 10.7%. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), increased by 5.8% year-on-year. Notably, the 4.5% growth in international traffic of airlines based in North America, after several months of virtually unchanged performance,” stated Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General. He added that “the trends for the rest of the year are encouraging: scheduled seat capacity in November is expected to grow by 3.6% and in December by 4.7%. This indicates strong holiday travel demand and that companies are looking to close deals year-end. The strong growth in the Middle East is partly due to its low base last year, when geopolitical tensions affected traffic. African airlines experienced a year-on-year increase in demand of 7.3%. The US domestic market again recorded moderate growth after two months of contraction.
