Key Takeaways
- United States remains the world's largest air passenger market.
- Growth in US air travel slowed to just 1.6% last year.
- China projected to surpass US as the biggest air passenger market by the 2030s.
The United States maintained its position as the world's largest air transport market, according to new data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). In 2025, a total of 890.1 million passengers took off or landed in the US, marking a modest increase of 1.6% over the previous year.
In contrast, China, which is currently the second-largest market with 776.1 million passengers, experienced growth of 4.8%. Industry forecasts suggest that by the 2030s, China could surpass the United States as the world's biggest air passenger market. Airbus, for instance, predicts that domestic flights in China will outstrip US markets by about one-third by 2045.
The UK ranked third with 269.7 million domestic take-offs and landings, followed closely by Spain (252.7 million) and Japan (223.5 million). The four busiest domestic air routes in the world were Jeju-Seoul, Sapporo-Tokyo, Fukuoka-Tokyo, and Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh, with passenger numbers ranging from 8.9 million to 13.3 million.
The US's most used route was New York-Los Angeles, which saw just 2.2 million passengers in the same period. In Europe, the busiest route was Barcelona-Palma de Majorca, carrying 2.1 million passengers. IATA compiles its data from a network of 1,315 airlines worldwide.
The Boeing 737 emerged as the most used aircraft globally last year with 10.8 million flights, followed by the Airbus A320 with 8.7 million and the A321 with 4.2 million. These figures underscore the continued dominance of these aircraft types in the global aviation market.
While the US retains its position as the largest air transport market, the industry is witnessing significant shifts, particularly with China's rapid growth. This trend highlights the evolving dynamics of international air travel and the potential for emerging markets to challenge established leaders.
