The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released the latest edition of World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), which provides comprehensive statistical data through 2025.
The number of international premium-class passengers (business class and first class) reached 109.7 million in 2025, up 4.5% year on year. They accounted for 5.5% of all international passengers.
By region, Latin America recorded the largest increase in premium-class passengers, reaching 4 million, up 22.1%. Europe remained the largest market for premium travel, recording 39.7 million premium-class passengers in 2025. North America (10.4%) and the Middle East (9.5%) had the highest shares of premium-class passengers in total passenger traffic.
The world’s busiest route was Seoul/Gimpo–Jeju, used by 13.3 million passengers. The Asia-Pacific region accounted for nearly all of the world’s top 10 busiest airport pairs, with Jeddah–Riyadh the only route outside the region to rank among them.
The United States was the world’s largest passenger market, recording 890.1 million passengers in 2025, although its growth rate of 1.6% was the lowest among the world’s top 10 markets. China ranked second with 776.1 million passengers. Strong growth was recorded particularly in Central Asia, with Kazakhstan up 40.0% to 18.1 million passengers, Uzbekistan up 16.9% to 12.5 million, and Vietnam up 14.8% to 80.9 million. Japan recorded 223.5 million passengers, up 9.2% year on year.
In terms of aircraft operations, Boeing 787 operations rose 40.8% and Airbus A350 operations increased 117.4% over the past six years, while Airbus A380 operations declined 24.4%. Among single-aisle aircraft, the Boeing 737 recorded the highest number of flights, at 10.8 million, while Airbus A220 operations surged by 770.4%.
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