Global air passenger traffic now 15% below pre-Covid levels, says Iata

Global passenger traffic rebounded to 15 per cent below pre-pandemic levels in February, the International Air Transport Association has said.

This recovery was led by airlines in the Asia-Pacific region, which recorded the fastest growth, it said.

Passenger traffic worldwide increased 55.5 per cent on an annual basis in February – despite the uncertainties hanging over the global economy, according to Iata’s monthly report.

International passenger traffic was up 89.7 per cent from February 2022 and reached 77.5 per cent of February 2019 levels. All markets recorded strong growth, with Asia-Pacific airlines leading the way.

Demand for domestic travel in February rose 25.2 per cent, compared with the same month last year, and stood at 97.2 per cent of February 2019 levels.

“Despite the uncertain economic signals, demand for air travel continues to be strong across the globe,” said Willie Walsh, Iata’s director general.

“The industry is now just about 15 per cent below 2019 levels of demand and that gap is narrowing each month.”

The removal of Covid-19 restrictions for Chinese domestic and international travel has continued to bode well for the industry’s continued strong recovery from the pandemic.

Covid restrictions in China, the world’s second-biggest economy and top air travel market, were among the strictest and most enduring worldwide.

However, escalating geopolitical tensions, increasing economic fragmentation, high inflation and a surprise output cut by Opec+ producers that sent oil prices higher this week are a challenging backdrop against which airlines operate.

Middle Eastern airlines registered a 75 per cent jump in passenger traffic compared to February 2022.

Capacity climbed 40.5 per cent, while load factor – a measure of how well airlines can fill available seats – rose 15.8 percentage points to 80 per cent, according to Iata.

Airlines are ready for the Easter travel rush this month, but airports and other players must show “the same commitment”, said Mr Walsh.

Last summer, labour shortages disrupted services at major hubs in Europe and the US.

Global air cargo markets in February showed a slower pace of decline, Iata said. Demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres, fell 7.5 per cent year on year – half the rate of annual decline recorded in January.