Global air travel demand hits record high in July

By Tuba Ongun

Global air travel demand hit an all-time high in July thanks to an 8% annual hike in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), a leading trade group said on Thursday.

Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), increased 7.4% year-on-year in July, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Demand for both international and domestic routes increased in July by 10.1% and 4.8%, respectively.

"In fact, passenger demand hit an all-time high for the industry and in all regions except Africa, despite significant disruption caused by the CrowdStrike IT outage," IATA Director General Willie Walsh said.

On July 19, a software update by US-based cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused a global IT outage for devices running the Windows operating system. Most businesses were interrupted including transport, as more than 5,000 flights were canceled worldwide.

The July load factor rose to 86% this July, up 0.5 percentage point from last year, data showed.

In a separate statement on Wednesday, the IATA said global demand for air freight, measured in cargo ton-kilometers, surged 13.6% year-on-year in July, making its eighth consecutive month of double-digit growth, with overall levels reaching new heights.