Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Passengers flock to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 in Pasay City on March 25, 2024. An influx of passengers is expected at various transport hubs during the Holy Week, ramping up near the official holiday dates. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Holy Week Exodus Starts

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:522px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173828492854520240325-naia-holy-week-travel-MD--2.jpg" style="width:522px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Passengers flock to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 in Pasay City on March 25, 2024. An influx of passengers is expected at various transport hubs during the Holy Week, ramping up near the official holiday dates. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</span></span></span></div><p>PARIS, France — Air passenger transport hit a new record in 2024 as it surpassed the levels seen before the Covid pandemic dealt a severe blow to travel, the world&#x27;s leading airline body said on Thursday.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2024/12/10/air-passenger-numbers-to-top-5-billion-in-2025-iata-1836">Air passenger numbers to top 5 billion in 2025: IATA</a></div><p>Expressed in the total distance passengers flew, traffic in 2024 rose 10.4 percent from the year before and was 3.8 percent higher than the previous record set in 2019, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement.</p><p>The organization, which represents some 340 airlines accounting for more than 80 percent of the world&#x27;s air traffic, had already indicated in early December that it expected a record number of passengers in 2024.</p><p>That record of 4.89 billion passengers compares with 4.44 billion in 2023 and 4.54 billion in 2019.</p><p>In 2020, the height of the health crisis, volumes had collapsed to 1.78 billion.</p><p>On average, 83.5 percent of plane seats were filled last year, compared with 82.2 percent in 2023.</p><p>Willie Walsh, the IATA&#x27;s director general, said the high seat occupancy rates were &quot;partially attributable to the supply chain constraints that limited capacity growth&quot;, suggesting that growth might have been even faster had it not been for delays in plane deliveries.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/30/trump-blames-deadly-washington-air-collision-on-diversity-0617">Trump blames deadly Washington air collision on &#x27;diversity&#x27;</a></div><p>International travel rose 13.6 percent last year while domestic travel rose a slower 5.7 percent. The fastest growth was in Asia, the IATA said.</p><p>&quot;Looking to 2025, there is every indication that demand for travel will continue to grow, albeit at a moderated pace of 8.0 percent that is more aligned with historical averages,&quot; Walsh said.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PoePShw0QDU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Air passenger transport hit a new record in 2024 as it surpassed the levels seen before the Covid pandemic dealt a severe blow to travel.</p>

Air passenger transport hit a new record in 2024 as it surpassed the levels seen before the Covid pandemic dealt a severe blow to travel.

Global air travel hits record in 2024 as post-Covid recovery continues

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Business

Global air travel hits record in 2024 as post-Covid recovery continues

Agence France-Presse

Published January 31, 2025 08:59 AM PHT

Read More:

International Air Transport Association

IATA

travel

air travel

tourism

aviation

ANC

ANC promo

ABSNews

Agence France-Presse

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.