Fri, Jan 10, 2025 | Rajab 10, 1446 | DXB 0°C

UAE airports drive Mideast air traffic surge

Middle Eastern carriers record 87% rise in passenger demand

Published: Thu 9 Jan 2025, 8:08 PM

By
Issac John

Major international aviation hubs in the Middle East, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Qatar, saw a significant increase in traffic demand, supported by the exceptional performance of the region’s largest aviation hubs, despite some countries being affected by geopolitical conflicts.

Latest data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows an 8.7 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger demand recorded by Middle Eastern carriers in November 2024. Capacity increased 3.9 per cent year-on-year and the load factor was 81 per cent, up 3.6 per cent compared to the same 2023 month.

Middle Eastern and Asia Pacific carriers saw the largest improvements in load factor among all the regions as globally, the industry’s total revenue passenger-kilometre (RPK) increased by 8.1 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in November, continuing to exceed historical records. Available seat per kilometre (ASK) rose by 5.7 per cent YoY lagging demand growth. The passenger load factor (PLF) improved by 1.9 percentage points compared to the previous year, reaching 83.4 per cent, an all-time high for November, said Willie Walsh, Iata’s director general.

Manoj John, founder & CEO of Dubai-based AeroConncetions, said the region’s traffic surge was driven leading aviation hubs of the UAE, in particular Dubai Airports, which is expected to record 5.7 per cent year-on-year growth in traffic to 91.9 million passengers, up from the 86.9 million in 2023 in 2024, the highest in its history. “The Dubai International Airport has recorded more direct traffic than the traditional transfer traffic, reflecting Dubai’s emergence as leading global tourist destination,” said John, an aviation industry expert.

In the Middle East, all major international route areas have seen a great increase in growth pace, mirroring Middle Eastern airlines’ latest results. “The noticeable solid performance of Gulf countries supported this increase in demand for air travel. The Middle East-Asia route area saw a 9.5 per cent increase in RPK compared to the previous year, while the Africa -Middle East route area saw the highest growth at 12.7 per cent YoY,” IATA analysts said.

The strengthening global momentum was carried by the Middle East and Asia Pacific, which have respectively seen RPK climb by 8.7 per cent and 19.9 per cent YoY. Ongoing geopolitical changes and conflicts in the Middle East had no noticeable impact on the latest figures, while traffic levels in the concerned countries remain below pre-pandemic levels.

Globally, international passenger demand rose 11.6 per cent compared to November 2023. Capacity was up 8.6 per cent year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.4 per cent (+2.3 per cent compared to November 2023). Strong performance by carriers in Europe and Asia-Pacific drove this double-digit expansion in demand.

Domestic traffic demand rose 3.1 per cent compared to November 2023. Capacity was up 1.5 per cent year-on-year and the load factor was 83.5 per cent (+1.2 per cent compared to November 2023).

“November was another month of strong growth in the demand for air travel with an overall expansion of 8.1 per cent. The month was also another reminder of the supply chain issues that are preventing airlines from getting the aircraft they need to meet growing demand. Capacity growth is lagging demand by 2.4 per cent and load factors are at record levels,” said Walsh.

The IATA chief added that airlines are missing out on opportunities to better serve customers, modernize their products and improve their environmental performance because aircraft are not being delivered on time. “The 2025 New Year’s resolution for the aerospace manufacturing sector must be finding a fast and durable solution for their supply chain issues,” said Walsh.