The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released the latest edition of its World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), providing one of the aviation industry’s most comprehensive annual snapshots. Covering data through 2025, the report highlights continued growth in passenger demand, premium travel, airline operations and aircraft utilisation across global markets.
Updated every year, the WATS report compiles operational and financial data directly from airlines worldwide. It examines passenger traffic, capacity, fleet composition, employment, revenues, costs and the world’s busiest air routes.
Key Highlights
WATS compiles airline operational, financial and fleet data from carriers worldwide.
Global airline statistics updated through 2025.
Premium-class international travel rose 4.5%.
Premium passengers represented 5.5% of international travellers.
United States remained the world’s largest passenger market.
China ranked second, followed by the United Kingdom.
Nine of the world’s ten busiest airport pairs were in Asia.
Premium-Class Travel Continues to Expand
One of the strongest trends identified in the report is the sustained rise in premium travel.
International business- and first-class traffic reached 109.7 million passengers in 2025, representing a 4.5% year-on-year increase. Premium travellers accounted for 5.5% of all international passengers, reflecting ongoing demand for higher-value travel experiences despite broader economic uncertainty.
Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the fastest growth in premium traffic, while Europe remained the world’s largest premium travel market. Asia Pacific also posted double-digit growth in premium passengers.
Check this out: Regional Passenger Traffic Growth and Passenger Numbers by Cabin Class
United States Remains Largest Passenger Market
The United States retained its position as the world’s largest domestic air passenger market in 2025 with approximately 890 million passengers.
China ranked second, followed by the United Kingdom. Among the world’s ten largest markets, Japan delivered the strongest annual passenger growth.
Asia Dominates the World’s Busiest Air Routes
Asia Pacific continued to dominate domestic aviation.
Nine of the world’s ten busiest airport pairs were located in Asia, led by the Seoul Gimpo–Jeju route. The only non-Asian airport pair in the global top ten was Jeddah–Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
The report also notes that airlines increasingly rely on modern, fuel-efficient aircraft while maintaining strong operational performance across expanding global networks.
Check this out: World’s Busiest Airport Paris 2026 by Passenger Numbers
WATS Remains the Industry Benchmark
Compiled using data submitted directly by airlines, WATS remains one of the aviation sector’s most authoritative statistical references. Beyond passenger demand, it tracks airline finances, fleet development, employment, safety indicators and market rankings, making it an essential resource for airlines, airports, tourism organisations and policymakers.
Related Coverage
HKIA Wins Top Spot as World’s Busiest Cargo Airport in 2024
Agoda Reveals Indonesia Travel Trends as China Demand Surges in 2026
Hamad International Airport Fast Pass Introduces Biometric Boarding with Qatar Airways
