Global air travel recovery continues
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says the global air travel recovery continued through the end of 2022.
Total traffic in 2022 (RPKs) rose 64.4% compared to 2021.
Globally, full year 2022 traffic was at 68.5% of pre-pandemic levels.
International traffic in 2022 climbed 152.7% to reach 62.2% of 2019 levels.
Domestic traffic for 2022 rose 10.9% compared to the prior year.
It is now at 79.6% of the full year 2019 level.
“The industry left 2022 in far stronger shape as most governments lifted Covid-19 travel restrictions,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Asia-Pacific was again the key region for relative growth.
It posted a 363.3% rise in full year international 2022 traffic, the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions.
Capacity rose 129.9% and load factor climbed 37.3%.
European carriers’ full year load factor rose to 80.6%.
For December, demand climbed 46.5% compared to the same month in 2021.
North American full year load factor was up 20 percentage points to 80.8%.
“Let us hope that 2022 becomes known as the year in which governments locked away forever the regulatory shackles,” Walsh said.
“It is vital that governments learn that travel restrictions and border closures have little positive impact.”
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