AIRLINES operating in the Middle East recorded a 3.3 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger demand in February, with total flight capacity rising 1.3pc during the same period, an industry report showed, reports Arab News.
The latest data from the International Air Transport Association revealed global passenger demand, both domestic and international, increased by 2.6pc over the second month of the year.
This growth comes as many Middle Eastern countries focus on boosting the aviation sector to help diversify their economies away from oil dependency, with Saudi Arabia seeking to triple passenger numbers by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.
Commenting on the latest report, Willie Walsh, director general of IATA, said: “February traffic hit an all-time high, and the number of scheduled flights is set to continue increasing in March and April.”
The association added that the total load factor among carriers in the Middle East region stood at 82pc in February, representing a rise of 1.6 percentage points compared to the same month in 2024.
The load factor is a metric used in the aviation sector that measures the percentage of available seating capacity that has been filled with passengers.
A high load factor signifies that an airline has sold most of its available seats.
IATA also reported that carriers in the Middle East handled 9.4pc of global passengers in February, a figure that remained unchanged from January.
Earlier this month, a report by consulting management firm Oliver Wyman stated that the fleet of commercial airlines in the Middle East is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.1pc from 2025 to 2035, reaching 2,557 aircraft.
It added that this growth rate in the Middle East is nearly double the annual global growth rate, which is projected at 2.8pc during the same period.
According to IATA, international passenger demand growth increased by 5.6pc in February compared to the same period in the previous year. However, international passenger demand growth was down compared to January, which witnessed a 12.3pc rise.
The report added that global domestic demand declined by 1.9pc year on year in February.
Africa witnessed a 6.8pc rise in overall passenger demand, including both domestic and international, followed by Latin America at 4.6pc, Europe at 4.3pc, and Asia-Pacific at 4.2pc.
Air carriers operating in North America experienced a 3.2pc decline in passenger demand.
Airlines operating in the Asia-Pacific region led international passenger demand globally, marking a 9.5pc growth in February compared to the same month in 2024.
The total capacity of airlines in the APAC region rose by 8.3pc year on year, while the load factor stood at 85.7pc.
APAC airlines handled 33.5pc of global passengers in February, followed by Europe at 26.7pc and North America at 22.9pc.
The report further indicated that international passenger demand among Middle East airlines increased by 3.1pc in February compared to the same month in the previous year.
The association also noted that the capacity of airlines in the Middle East region increased by 1.3pc, while the load factor stood at 81.9pc in February, representing a rise of 1.4 percentage points compared to the same month in 2023.
According to IATA, international passenger demand among European air carriers rose by 5.7pc year on year in February, while capacity increased by 4.9pc during the same period.
North American air carriers saw a 1.5pc decline in international passenger demand growth, with capacity also decreasing by 3.2pc.
International passenger demand growth among Latin American airlines grew by 6.7pc year on year in February, while capacity climbed by 9.9pc.
African airlines saw demand growth of 6.7pc among international travellers.
The capacity of these carriers also rose by 4pc in February compared to the same month in 2024.
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