The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade organization representing more than 300 air carriers worldwide, announced that the air travel recovery continued through November 2022, based on data from the airlines.
According to the report, total traffic worldwide in November 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 41.3 percent compared to November 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 75.3 percent of November 2019 levels.
Domestically, US traffic is essentially back to pre-pandemic heights as it climbed 5.0 percent in November compared to November 2021, pushing it to 99 percent of the November 2019 level.
Asia-Pacific airlines had a 373.9 percent rise in November traffic compared to November 2021, which was the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions. Capacity rose 159.2 percent and the load factor was up 35.9 percentage points to 79.2 percent.
Although the results were overall positive, IATA Director General Willie Walsh expressed some frustration with the recent negative testing requirements for Chinese travelers potentially hampering industry gains.
“Traffic results in November reinforce that consumers are thoroughly enjoying the freedom to travel. Unfortunately, the reactions to China’s reopening of international travel in January reminds us that many governments are still playing science politics when it comes to COVID-19 and travel. Epidemiologists, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and others have said that the reintroduction of testing for travelers from China can do little to contain a virus that is already present around the world. And China’s objections to these policy measures are compromised by their own pre-departure testing requirements for people traveling to China. Governments should focus on using available tools to manage COVID-19 effectively—including improved therapeutics and vaccinations—rather than repeating policies that have failed time and again over the last three years,” said Walsh.
The full report can be viewed here.
Visit iata.org for more information.
[01.10.23]