IATA Releases 2025 World Air Transport Statistics

GENEVA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released the latest edition of its World Air Transport Statistics, providing comprehensive aviation data through 2025. The annual publication covers passenger demand, airline capacity and operational performance.

IATA issues guidance for in-cabin pet travel

 

GENEVA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released new operational guidance for in-cabin pet travel. The guidelines cover each stage of the journey, including booking, check-in, boarding, the onboard experience and arrival.

IATA criticises latest EU261 reform package

 

GENEVA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has expressed disappointment with the latest revisions to EU261, stating that the updated framework fails to address the regulation’s underlying shortcomings and represents a missed opportunity to improve both passenger experience and European aviation competitiveness.

IATA Launches “Save a Life, Not a Bag” Passenger Safety Campaign

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA)  announced the launch of “Save a Life, Not a Bag”, a passenger safety campaign urging travelers not to take cabin baggage during an aircraft evacuation.

Global airline earnings to halve in 2026 as fuel prices soar – IATA

 

The global airline industry’s net earnings are set to almost halve during 2026 due to the massive spike in jet fuel prices since the start of the Iran war, according to the latest financial outlook from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Middle East Disruptions And High Fuel Prices Halve Airline Industry Profitability

 

Welcome back! This week we send our greetings from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, having gathered for the 82nd IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM). Top leadership from airlines, the aviation value chain, and governments engaged in deep conversations on complex topics as the airline industry continues to face complex and dynamic operating, business, and geopolitical environments.

EU air connectivity flatlined under high costs

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data showing that European air connectivity essentially flatlined in 2025 with a net 1% growth in the total number of routes connecting the continent (both internally and with other parts of the world). This is below the compound annual growth of 1.5% over the last decade.

IATA: EU air connectivity ‘flatlined’ in 2025

 European air connectivity grew just 1 per cent in 2025, falling short of the decade-long average annual growth rate of 1.5 per cent, according to the International Air Transport Association

IATA launches Baggage Community System for baggage messaging modernization

 

CAIRO – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched the Baggage Community System (BCS), a secure digital platform designed to support the gradual adoption of the Modern Baggage Messaging (BIX) standard across the aviation industry.

IATA urges African governments to prioritise aviation for economic growth

 

ADDIS ABABA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on African governments to prioritise aviation as a strategic enabler of economic and social development, highlighting its role in supporting long-term growth across the continent.

IATA Statement on Potential Jet Fuel Shortages

 “The IEA's assessment of potential jet fuel shortages is sobering. We have also estimated that by the end of May we could start to see some cancellations in Europe for lack of jet fuel.

PoCs Prove Industry is Ready for Contactless Travel

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) published the results of several digital identity Proofs of Concept (PoCs) completed with the support of airlines, airports, technology providers and governments across Europe and Asia-Pacific.

IATA trials confirm readiness for contactless travel with digital identity

 

SINGAPORE – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published the results of several digital identity Proofs of Concept (PoCs), demonstrating that contactless, biometric-enabled international travel is operationally achievable using digital identity in place of paper documentation.

IATA: February Air Passenger Demand Grows 6.1%

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for February 2026 global passenger demand with the following highlights:

Global air passenger demand rises 6.1% in February

 

GENEVA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a 6.1% year-on-year increase in global air passenger demand for February 2026, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK).

Air Cargo Demand up 11.2% in February 2026

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for February 2026 global air cargo markets showing:

• Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose by 11.2% compared to February 2025 levels (+11.6% for international operations).

Air Travel Demand Will More Than Double by 2050

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its Long‑Term Demand Projections (LTDP) for air travel, showing that global air passenger demand is expected to more than double by 2050.

IATA Announces World Data Symposium 2026 in Singapore to Accelerate Aviation’s Data, Technology & Cybersecurity Transformation

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will hold its 2026 edition of the World Data Symposium (WDS) in Singapore on 8–9 April. The Symposium will bring together data, technology, and cybersecurity leaders to share ideas and showcase real use cases around three themes driving transformation in aviation:

IATA Launches DG Digital to Fully Digitalize Dangerous Goods Declarations

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched DG Digital, IATA’s digital Dangerous Goods Declaration solution, as a feature of DG AutoCheck. The new tool fully digitalizes the creation and approval of shippers’ declarations for more than 3,800 dangerous items—from lithium batteries to explosives and chemicals. This results in faster document sharing, improved safety, and a significant reduction in rejected shipments.

IATA 2025 Aviation Safety Report: 51 accidents recorded among 38.7 million flights in 2025

 

GENEVA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its 2025 Annual Safety Report, outlining global aviation safety performance across nearly 40 million flights and highlighting emerging operational risks.

The report shows that the global all-accident rate in 2025 was 1.32 accidents per million flights, equivalent to one accident for every 759,646 flights. This represented an improvement from the 1.42 rate recorded in 2024 but was slightly above the 2021–2025 five-year average of 1.27.