Latest world air transport statistics indicate a significant rise in premium-class travel, with business and first-class demand growing strongly and now providing 5.5pc of all aviation transport.
International premium-class travel (first and business class) reached 109.7m passengers, marking a 4.5pc year-on-year increase according to the newly released IATA 2025 World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) report. This surge means premium travelers now account for 5.5pc of all international air travelers globally.
: Premium passenger numbers in Latin America surged by 22.1pc to reach 4.0m travelers. [1]
Europe Dominates Volume: Europe remains the largest total market for premium cabins, capturing 39.7m passengers. North America (10.4pc) and the Middle East (9.5pc) registered the highest proportion of premium passengers relative to their total passenger counts.
The Asia-Pacific region dominated the busiest domestic connections, led by Jeju International to Seoul’s Gimpo Airport at 13.3m passengers.
Overall Market Leader: The United States remains the world’s largest overall aviation market at 890.1m total passengers, followed closely by China at 776.1m.
This trend reflects recovering confidence in premium experiences among international travellers, including those departing from Ireland. Airlines are responding with enhanced offerings to capitalise on the surge.
