For international connectivity, air travel plays an essential role. Whereas air travel is very common in some countries, it is out of reach for many in low-income countries. Only a small number of the world’s population travels by air every year.
Here are all the stats that show who gets on the plane. In this blog, you will learn about what percentage of the world that travels by air:
People Who Travel by Air (Top Stats)
- Only 11% of the world’s population flew at least once in 2018
- Just 1% of people take frequent flights and contribute to 50% of aviation emissions
- In 2024, global air passengers reached 9.5 billion, up from 8.7 billion in 2023
- The U.S. top 20% income group takes over 70% of all flights
- North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific account for the majority of global air traffic
- In low-income countries, most people have never flown in their lives
- Business travelers make up 12–15% of passengers but generate 75% of airline profits
- During COVID-19 (2020), air travel dropped by 60.2%, with 66% of fleets grounded
- By late 2023, international air travel had recovered 98.5% compared to pre-pandemic levels
- In 2024, the Asia-Pacific region had the highest share of air traffic at 33.5%
How Many People Travel by Air Globally?
Here are the statistics of people who travelled by air:
According to the ACI (Airport Council International), there were 9.5 billion passengers who traveled by air in 2024. These stats are surprising; the number of people traveling by air in 2019 increased by 4%. In 2023, the number of passengers was 8.7 billion, 95% more than in 2019.
The Estimated Global Percentage
According to the stats, 11% of the world population took at least one flight in 2018. As for the people who travelled globally that year, the percentage is 2 to 4 percent, Around 3% of the world population comes in ragulaer flayers. The flights of these people are more frequent as compared to those of people who travel by air occasionally.Only 1% of the world population takes flights regularly, which comes under elite flyers. These people take dozens of flights and long trips on a regular basis.
Sources: Lunduniversity.lu.se, En.wikipedia.org, Stay-grounded.org, Edition.cnn.com
Annual Air Passengers vs. Unique Travelers
Here is the detailed comparison of annual travellers and unique travellers:
Annual passenger boardings
According to the IATA(International Air Transport Association) airline industry scheduled the boarding of 4.5 billion people in 2023, with the prediction of reaching 5 billion in 2024.
As per the report of PKR growth (revenue passengers kilometers), the number increased by over 10.4% in the year 2024, surprising the pandemic period by 3.8%.
Sources: Statista.com, Iata.org
Unique travelers
According to IATA, 5 billion individuals will fly in 2024. These stats are based on one person, regardless of how many flights they have taken in one year.
Common Misconceptions About Air Travel Volume
Here are some common misconceptions about air travel that people have:
Everyone flys
Only 11% of the world’s population traveled by air in 2018, and only 1% of the world’s population took flights internationally.
Air travel is common in all countries
Air travel is not common across the globe. It’s only common in high-income countries. The number of people who travel by air from low-income countries is very low; mostly, people from these areas never get to experience travel by air.
Source: Iata.org
More flights mean more people
It’s been assumed that more flights mean more people. In reality, according to the IAT, the passenger onboarding numbers in 204 were 4.5 billion to 5 billion. These numbers show how many individuals have taken the flights. Normally, frequent travelers take multiple flights.
Source: Bbc.com
Aviation contributes to air pollution
Aviation contributes 2.5% to 3% to the global population, but in reality, only 1% of the elite who take multiple flights frequently are responsible for 50% of aviation emissions.
Source: Bbc.com
Air Travel by Region
Here is the breakdown of air travel by region:
Air Travel in Developed Countries
Here are the stats of air travel in developed countries:
North America
In 2024, according to the RPK share, there was 22.9% of global traffic. The increase in growth was 4.6% compared to 2023. The major hubs for traffic were Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Dallas.
Source: Iata.org
Euroup
As per the report of RPK in 2024, there was 26.7% air traffic, along with a growth of 8.7%. The major areas for the traffic were London, Amsterdam, and Charles de Gaulle. aci.aero
Asia pacific
According to the RPK share in 2024, the air traffic was 33.5%, the largest chunk of air traffic. The growth was 16.9%, and the major hubs for traffic were Tokyo, Singapore Changi, and Delhi IGI.
Source: Iata.org
Air Travel in Developing and Low-Income Countries
Here are the stats of air travel in low-income countries:
Latin America
According to the RPK share the traffic in Latin America in 2024 was 5.3% with a growth of 7.8%. The main areas of traffic were Mexico City and São Paulo.
Africa
As per the report of RPK share in 2024, the traffic was 2.2% with a growth of 13.2%. The main hubs of traffic were Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Cairo.
Middle east
According to the stats of RPK share, air traffic in the Middle East was 9.4%, with a growth of 9.5%. The main areas of traffic were Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.
Source: Aci.aero
Major Airports and Top Flying Nations
Here are the top flying nations of 2023:
USA: 850 million people reported onboarding domestically and internationally.
China: 600 million people from China after COVID.
India: According to the reports, 300 million people from India.
UK, UAE, Japan: These three nations also come in the top flying nations of 2023.
Source: Data.worldbank.org
Who Really Flies?
Here is the reality of global air travel. Air travel is connected worldwide, and despite the growth of the world’s population, many factors impact air travel. Factors such as income, first travelers, and frequent travelers. Here is the whole breakdown of who gets on the plane.
Frequent Flyers vs. First-Time Flyers
The study shows that only 1% of the world population travels by air frequently. These people are responsible for 50% of aviation emissions. The people in class include business executives, consultants, and commuters.
First-time travellers mostly come from low-income countries. They travel through the air as their income level rises. Travel by air is a rare and lifetime event for most people. In many low-income countries, 10% to 20% of people have never flown.
Source: Doi.org
Income Inequality and Access to Air Travel
The income level of people plays a vital role in air travel:
In the USA, 20% of people take more frequent flights, covering 70% of all flights. On the other hand, half of Americans didn’t fly in the year of 2021.
Europe, North America, and the Pacific play an important part in air traffic, as people from low-income countries contribute a very low share due to the affordability.
Sources: Data.worldbank.org, Bts.gov
Business Travel vs. Leisure Travel
The purpose and class of people can identify the reason and who is travelling often by air. Here are the details:
Business Travel
Business travelers are only 12% to 15% of people, but they contribute 75% of the profit to the airline industry.
Leisure Travel
Leisure travel includes all non-business trips. This mainly highlights tourist tours. In many countries, leisure travel is a rare event in people’s lives due to low income, visa restrictions, and affordability.
Source: Unwto.org
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
How Air Travel Dropped in 2020–2021
In 2020, the number of air passengers dropped from 4.5 billion to only 1.8 billion. The drop rotation was 60.2%.
According to RPK, the air traffic dropped by 65.9% globally. In these stats, the interball traffic dropped by 75.6% and domestic traffic dropped by 48.8%.
The global airline industry $126 billion, which was a huge drop, with the stats of 69% decline in income.
As per the reports, 66% of the air fleet was grounded in 2020.
Source: Internationalairportreview
Recovery Trends in 2022 and Beyond
According to the report of RPK share in 2022, the air traffic increased with the ratio of 65.8% as compared to 2019. At the international level, the RPK growth was 152.7%, whereas in 2019 it was 62.2%.
In October 2023, the RPK increased by 98.4% internationally. In November of 2023, the international traffic increased slightly by 98.5%, with the increase of 6.7% in domestic traffic.
Sources: Airlines.iata.org, Travel.economictimes
Conclusion
Travel by air has become a very common part of people’s lives, yet it is accessible worldwide, but still, so many people cannot travel by air due to unequal distribution. Only a small segment of the world’s population plays a vital role in air traffic. These people travel for business, or they are consultants who take flights frequently.
People from high-growth areas such as North America and, pacific have more buying power as compared to people from low-income countries. In COVID-19, there was a huge drop in air traffic, and the airline industry faces huge losses. In the coming years, in 2021 and 2022, the recovery began.