US-based travel agency air ticket sales totaled US$99.2 billion in 2024, growing four percent from the year previous, according to the Airlines Reporting Corp. It is the highest ever total recorded by ARC.

“2024 was a momentous year for air travel, with eight record-breaking months of agency sales and a strong close in December,” said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC. “Sales and passenger trip growth were made possible by industry collaboration to meet travellers and travel managers where they want to do business. Airlines, agencies and technology providers made a concerted effort to support modern airline retailing in 2024, evidenced by total NDC transaction volume increasing more than 50% since 2023.”

A surge in December demand saw ticket sales reaching $6.7 billion, a 17% year-over-year increase. Total passenger trips climbed 13% year over year to 19 million, driven by double-digit percentage increases in both domestic and international trips.

NDC transactions accounted for 20.3% of the total ARC reported and settled transactions in December 2024 – a 10% increase from 18.4% in December 2023. A total of 799 travel agencies reported NDC transactions during December 2024.

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