Global air passenger demand surged by over 21%, year-on-year, in February, according to latest figures from aviation representative group, the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Demand for domestic flights grew by over 15% on the same month last year, while international flight demand surged by over 26% year-on-year.
IATA Director General, Willie Walsh, said: “The strong start to 2024 continued in February with all markets except North America reporting double-digit growth in passenger traffic.”
“There is good reason to be optimistic about the industry’s prospects in 2024 as airlines accelerate investments in decarbonisation and passenger demand shows resilience in the face of geopolitical and economic uncertainties.”
However, Mr Walsh warned governments away from making travel more expensive through unnecessary tax increases: “It is critical that politicians resist the temptation of cash grabs with new taxes that could destabilise this positive trajectory and make travel more expensive. In particular, Europe is a worry as it seems determined to lock in its sluggish economic recovery with uncompetitive tax proposals.”
