World airline passenger traffic increased by 6.3 percent last year compared to 2015, driving a record 3.7 billion passenger trips, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The growth, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), outpaced the 10-year average annual growth rate of 5.5 percent.

International passenger traffic last rose by 6.7 percent year over year, while airline capacity increased 6.9 percent and load factor declined to 79.6 percent. All regions recorded year-over-year increases in demand, IATA said on February 2.

Middle Eastern carriers claimed the strongest regional growth for the fifth year in a row, with an 11.8 percent increase in RPKs. Capacity growth of 13.7 percent outpaced demand, with load factor declining 1.3 percent, to 74.7 percent.

Domestic air travel increased by 5.7 percent last year. Capacity increased by 5.1 percent and load factor inched up to 82.2 percent—0.5 percentage points over 2015. All major markets except Brazil showed growth. India and China saw RPKs increase by 23.3 percent and 11.7 percent, respectively.

“Demand for air travel is still expanding. The challenge for governments is to work with the industry to meet that demand with infrastructure that can accommodate the growth, regulation that facilitates growth and taxes that don’t choke growth,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA director general and CEO.