GLOBAL AIR TRANSPORT MARKET IN 2025

Created on 16.02.2026 11:35

In 2025, the global passenger air transport market continued to recover after the pandemic, although growth rates were more moderate compared to the active recovery in 2024. Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) increased by 5.3% year-on-year, while available seat kilometers (ASK) grew by 5.2%. Slightly ahead demand than supply allowed the industry to achieve a record annual average passenger load factor (PLF) of 83.6%, reflecting ongoing capacity constraints partly related to aircraft delivery delays.

Passenger traffic increased in all regions, but growth rates varied significantly. Leaders were African airlines (+9.4% YoY) and Asia-Pacific carriers (+7.8%), with the latter solidifying its status as one of the key sources of global demand. Airlines in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East also recorded above-average industry performance. European carriers grew in line with the global average (+5.3%), while North America significantly lagged — +0.4% for the year.

The Asia-Pacific region continues to play a central role in shaping global aviation demand. Despite normalization of growth rates compared to 2024, international passenger traffic within Asia increased by 11.9%, making this route market one of the fastest-growing in the world. Growth was supported by strong demand in the region’s largest markets — China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India.

Carriers in the region also played a key role in short-term dynamics: in December 2025, they accounted for nearly 40% of the net global RPK growth. Total RPK increased by 6.3% year-on-year, mainly due to international flights (+7.5%). Capacity growth matched demand growth, allowing the load factor to remain close to the global average at around 83.6%.

Significant heterogeneity remained within the region. For example, passenger traffic between China and Japan fell sharply by 34% in December, reflecting ongoing geopolitical tensions. At the same time, long-haul routes between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East showed double-digit growth, indicating stable demand for intercontinental travel linked to tourism, trade, and business activity. Routes between Asia and North America grew more moderately, signaling a gradual normalization of trans-Pacific demand.

Experts note that 2025 was a transitional year for global aviation — from rapid recovery to a more sustainable and structurally balanced growth trajectory. For the Asia-Pacific region, this means maintaining its role as a key driver of the global market while becoming more sensitive to geopolitical risks, capacity management issues, and differences in the economic conditions of the countries in the region. Despite these factors, the region’s size, demographic trends, and expanding international connectivity make it one of the fundamental pillars of global aviation in the long term.

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