Air passenger traffic grew 6.8 percent globally in March compared to 2016, the International Air Traffic Association (IATA) said, while demand grew 6.4 percent, down slightly from February.
Capacity increased 6.1 percent while load factor rose to 80.4 percent, a record.
All regions saw an increase in passenger traffic except for the Middle East where growth dropped 4.9 percent.
“Strong traffic demand continued throughout the first quarter, supported by a combination of lower fares and a broad-based upturn in global economic conditions,” IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said. “The price of air travel has fallen by around 10 percent in real terms over the past year and that has contributed to record load factors.”
Airlines face challenges in the second quarter. April’s figures should reflect the March ban on laptops on flights traveling from one North African and eight Middle Eastern nations to the United States.
The forced removal of United Airlines passenger David Dao in April will be reflected in May’s figures.
While it is easy to overact to the video, Juniac said, overbooking has been a standard airline policy for decades. It keeps fares low and avoids planes flying with empty seats.
If changes are made, it must be done after a discussion between airlines and regulators, Juniac said.