Passenger traffic recovers in November but air cargo demand softens as export orders drop

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the air travel recovery continued through November 2022. Total traffic in November 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKS) rose 41.3 percent compared to November 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 75.3 percent of November 2019 levels. International traffic rose 85.2 percent versus November 2021. The Asia-pacific continued to report the strongest year-over-year results with all regions showing improvement compared to the prior year. November 2022 international RPKS reached 73.7 percent of November 2019 levels. Domestic traffic for November 2022 was up 3.4 percent compared to November 2021 with travel restrictions in China continuing to dampen the global result. Total November 2022 domestic traffic was at 77.7 percent of the November 2019 level.

“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 Willie Walsh, IATA’S Director General.