AeroTrail

Introduction.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its 2024 World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) report on August 4, 2025, revealing key trends shaping global aviation. Passenger traffic grew by 9.4% year-on-year, slightly trailing the global average growth of 11.5%, while the load factor improved by 0.7 percentage points to reach 82.6%. Premium class travel saw a significant increase, with business and first-class segments expanding by 11.8%, marginally outpacing the 11.5% growth recorded in economy class. The Asia-Pacific region led premium passenger growth at 22.8%, reaching 21 million travelers, while economy class demand surged even higher at 28.6%. The United States retained its status as the world’s largest aviation market, accommodating 876 million passengers, followed by China with 741 million—a robust 18.7% increase from 2023. Within Africa, the busiest air route was the domestic corridor between Cape Town International Airport (CPT) and O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg (JNB), which handled 3.3 million passengers.

Conferences & Events.

The 29th annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) was held in Lagos, Nigeria, bringing together key stakeholders from the aviation sector, including journalists, industry experts, regulators, and policymakers. The conference focused on the theme “Financing Aviation In Nigeria: Risks, Opportunities and Prospects,” addressing the critical challenges and potential solutions for sustainable funding and growth in the industry. The event featured panel discussions, presentations, and keynote speeches covering infrastructure development, regulatory issues, financial challenges, and strategies to attract investment. Attended by senior aviation professionals, airline executives, government officials, and media representatives, the conference provided a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration aimed at revitalizing Nigeria’s aviation sector.