The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released the latest edition of the World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), providing comprehensive statistical data through to 2025.
WATS provides data related to demand, supply, and operational performance. WATS also includes data collections on the global airline fleet, top routes, employment, and financial performance (costs and revenues) incorporated from the 1,315 airlines, including more than 250 international airlines.
In 2025, the number of international premium-class passengers—business and first class—reached 109.7 million, up 4.5% year-on-year. This accounted for 5.5% of all international travelers
Latin America saw the largest jump in premium-class passengers, rising 22.1% to 4.0 million. Europe remained the biggest market for premium travel, with 39.7 million passengers in 2025.
However, North America (10.4%) and the Middle East (9.5%) accounted for the highest shares of premium-class passengers as a proportion of total passenger numbers.
Asia Pacific dominated the ranking of the world’s busiest airport pairs, with Jeju International Airport-Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport (CJU-GMP) remaining the most popular route globally, with 13.3 million passengers traveling between the two airports.
In the top 10, only one airport pair—Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport-Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (JED-RUH)—was outside the Asia Pacific region. All of the top 10 busiest airport pairs were domestic connections.
Cape Town International Airport-Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (CPT-JNB) was Africa’s busiest airport pair in 2025, with 3.4 million passengers.
Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport-Medellín’s José María Córdova International Airport (BOG-MDE) was the busiest airport pair in Latin America with 3.5 million passengers.
Barcelona’s Josep Tarradellas-El Prat Airport-Palma de Mallorca (BCN-PMI) remained the busiest airport pair in Europe with 2.1 million passengers.
Stockholm Arlanda Airport-Malmö Airport (ARN-MMX) was the airport pair with the fastest growth in Europe, with passenger numbers surging 85% to 271,031.
New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport-Los Angeles International Airport (JFK-LAX) was the busiest domestic airport pair in North America with 2.2 million passengers, and JFK-London Heathrow (JFK-LHR) was the busiest international airport pair from North America with 2.1 million passengers.
The United States remained the world’s biggest passenger market, with 890.1 million passengers (both arriving and departing) recorded in 2025.
However, it recorded the slowest growth of the world’s top 10 markets, up just 1.6% year-on-year compared to 2024. China was the second-biggest passenger market, with 776.1 million passengers in 2025, a growth of 4.8% compared to 2024.
Several Central Asian countries were among the world’s fastest-growing passenger markets. Kazakhstan recorded a 40.0% year-on-year surge in 2025 to 18.1 million passengers while Uzbekistan welcomed 12.5 million passengers, up 16.9% on the previous year. Outside of Central Asia, Vietnam also recorded strong growth, with 80.9 million passengers in 2025, up 14.8% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, IATA has released new operational guidance to support airlines in managing in-cabin pet travel at every stage of the journey from booking to check-in, boarding, the on-board experience, and arrival.
It follows IATA’s recently launched Guidance on Traveling with Service Dogs, reflecting a broader effort to improve consistency in the transport of dogs by air.
IATA’s 2025 Global Passenger Survey found that about a quarter of respondents have or would consider traveling with a pet. Of these: 41% cited uncertainty around pet eligibility as a challenge, 36% were unsure about airline policy, and 34% were unsure about the overall process of traveling with a pet.
The new In-Cabin Operational Guidelines address these concerns with recommended procedures to deliver a more predictable experience while maintaining safety, animal welfare, and operational efficiency.
