New figures show 2024 to have been a record year for the global aviation industry, with the highest number of passenger seats available on flights in a single year.
According to global aviation analytics firm Cirium, during 2024 airlines offered an extraordinary 5.85 billion seats on scheduled flights worldwide, exceeding the previous record of 5.72 billion seats set in 2019 by 2%. Global seat capacity also increased by 6% year-on-year in 2024, fuelled by surging demand for air travel and airlines deploying larger aircraft to meet this demand.
Despite the rise in seat availability, the total number of scheduled flights in 2024, at 36.4 million, remained 5% below 2019 levels, emphasising airlines’ shift toward operating larger planes with higher seating capacities.
Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium, said: “Looking back on 2024, it is clear that demand for air travel continued to rise, with airlines matching this demand by providing a record-breaking 5.85 billion seats globally.
“The fact that the industry has managed to exceed 2019 highs just a few years post-pandemic shows the strength air travel has in today’s world—whether that be connecting families and friends, allowing important face-to-face business meetings, or simply allowing travellers to explore new parts of the world.”
The analysis reveals that American Airlines is the leading carrier in passenger seat offerings, followed by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. European low-cost airline Ryanair ranked fifth, as the only non-US operator in the top tier.
