IATA: golden corporate profits and strong traffic growth

Record profits in 2017

2017 was still a record year for global net profits, at $37.6 billion, but the deep wounds caused by the pandemic have now healed. Walsh said the expected result for this year was “fantastic,” but pointed to profits of $30.5 billion, equivalent to $6.14 per passenger, and a revenue margin of 3.1%, which he said was not high.

Busy traffic

Traffic is in full swing. Total demand, measured in passenger kilometers, rose 11% in April compared to the same month last year. The total capacity provided, in seats per kilometre, exceeded that recorded in April 2023 by 9.6%, so the aircraft seat occupancy factor (load factor) in April reached 82.4%, an increase of one percentage point from the previous year. International demand grew the most at +15.8%, with capacity growing by 14.8%. Domestic demand rose by 4% compared to April 2023, with capacity growing by 2.1%. This year, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that total passenger numbers will rise to 4.96 billion passengers, a “record high.”

Thanks

Freight traffic is also recovering strongly. In April, it rose by 11.1% compared to the same month in 2023, in freight ton kilometers (CTK), rising for the fifth month in a row compared to last year.