Last year, airplanes were more crowded than ever
You weren’t wrong: Airliners worldwide flew fuller last year than ever before, with an average of more than four out of five seats occupied.
The average load factor was 81.4% worldwide, a record that represented a
0.9-point gain from the previous year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade group representing 280 airlines.
Planes were more crowded despite 6.3% growth in capacity, meaning more planes and more seats on them.
Demand, as measured in the average distance the passengers paid to fly, grew
7.6% for the year, including
4% in North America, according to the group.
But rising fuel costs have dampened expectations for this year, as airlines began to warn of fare hikes to keep pace.
“2017 got off to a very strong start and largely stayed that way throughout the year, sustained by a broad-based pickup in economic conditions,” Alexandre de Juniac, chief executive officer of IATA, said in announcing the traffic figures Thursday. “While the underlying economic outlook remains supportive in 2018, rising cost inputs, most notably fuel, suggest we are unlikely to see the same degree of demand stimulation from lower fares that occurred in the first part of 2017.”
The load factor among U.S. airlines was 82.54% during the first 10 months of 2017, according to the Transportation Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That rate included 84.54% for domestic flights and
80.83% for international flights.
But if that feels crowded, the load factor in India weighed in at 89.3%, according to IATA. If you’re looking for roomier flights, Japan’s flights averaged two-thirds full.
Growth in North American flights was somewhat offset by a slowdown in inbound international travel, according to IATA.
“Last year, more than 4 billion passengers used aviation to reunite with friends and loved ones, to explore new worlds, to do business and to take advantage of opportunities to improve themselves,” de Juniac said. “Aviation can do even more in
2018, supported by governments that recognize and support our activities with smarter regulation, fairer taxation, cost-efficient infrastructure and borders that are open to people and trade.”