KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 — Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), was up by 5.7 per cent in November 2025 versus the same period a year ago, while total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), increased 5.4 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y), said the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
November’s load factor was 0.3 percentage point higher at 83.7 per cent y-o-y, a record high for the month as airlines continued to satisfy growing passenger demand despite continuing capacity constraints stemming from challenges in the aerospace supply chain.
“The new year’s resolution for the manufacturing sector must be to increase production to meet the needs of its airline customers. The backlog of more than 17,000 aircraft orders in 2025 must be reduced in 2026,” said its director general Willie Walsh today.
IATA reported that international RPK was a healthy 7.7 per cent y-o-y in November, and the international load factor, at 84 per cent, was also a record high. Nonetheless, compared with October 2025, growth was slightly down in all regions except Africa.
Meanwhile, domestic RPK rose 2.7 per cent year-on-year, and load factor was steady at 83.2 per cent, driven by a 2.7 per cent capacity expansion.
“Brazil and India were the fastest-growing markets. Domestic United States traffic was the only major market to see a fall in demand, perhaps due to the government shutdown,” it said.
Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a 9.3 per cent y-o-y increase in demand, capacity increased 8.7 per cent y-o-y, and the load factor was 0.5 percentage points higher at 85.8 per cent versus November 2024.
“Geopolitical tensions led to traffic between China and Japan slowing to single-digit growth for the first time in 2025,” IATA said.
Meanwhile, European carriers had a 6.8 per cent y-o-y increase in demand. Capacity rose 6.1 per cent y-o-y, and the load factor was 0.5 percentage points higher at 85.6 per cent against November 2024.
