IATA: 4.4 billion air travelers on scheduled flights

IATA: 4.4 billion air travelers on scheduled flights

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported that in 2018, a record number of 4.4 billion people have travelled on scheduled flights, an increase of 6.9 percent to 2017. The increase was due to sharp reductions in the cost of air travel.

The IATA World Air Transport Statistics report found that 81.9 per cent of all available airline seats were filled last year. Also, the number of connections increased. Compared to the situation in 1998, airlines offer direct connections to twice the number of city pairs in 2017. In other words: airlines are connecting more people and places than ever before and flying is more accessible than ever, BusinessTraveller reports.

The report also shows that air travel in the Asia-Pacific region has continued to grow rapidly. This region now represents 37.1 per cent of all passengers transported globally.

Another interesting statistic: fuel efficiency improved by 12 per cent between 2010 and 2018.

Further reading on: businesstraveller.com