The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger demand recovery in air travel continued in December 2022 and for the full year.
In 2022, global revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased by 64.4% from the previous year. The total traffic for the full year reached 68.5% of pre-pandemic levels (2019). In December 2022, traffic rose 39.7% compared to December 2021, reaching 76.9% of the December 2019 level.
International traffic in 2022 saw a significant increase of 152.7% compared to 2021 and reached 62.2% of 2019 levels. In December 2022, international traffic increased by 80.2% compared to December 2021 and was 75.1% of the level in December 2019.
Domestic traffic in 2022 increased by 10.9% compared to the previous year and was 79.6% of the full-year 2019 level. In December 2022, domestic traffic increased by 2.6% compared to the previous year and was at 79.9% of December 2019 traffic.
The industry left 2022 in far stronger shape than it entered, as most governments lifted COVID-19 travel restrictions during the year and passengers took advantage of the restoration of their freedom to travel. This momentum is expected to continue in the New Year, despite some governments’ over-reactions to China’s re-opening.
Willie Walsh IATA’s Director General
International Passenger Markets
Asia-Pacific airlines experienced a 363.3% increase in international traffic for the full year of 2022 compared to 2021, making it the region with the highest YoY growth. The capacity grew by 129.9% and the load factor rose by 37.3 percentage points to 74.0%. In December 2022, traffic increased by 302.7% compared to December 2021.
European airlines saw a 132.2% increase in full-year traffic in 2022 compared to 2021. The capacity grew by 84.0%, and the load factor increased by 16.7 percentage points to 80.6%. Demand in December 2022 rose by 46.5% compared to December 2021.
Middle Eastern airlines reported a 157.4% rise in traffic in 2022 compared to 2021. The capacity increased by 73.8%, and the load factor rose by 24.6 percentage points to 75.8%. In December 2022, demand increased by 69.8% compared to December 2021.
North American carriers experienced a 130.2% increase in annual traffic in 2022 compared to 2021. The capacity grew by 71.3%, and the load factor rose by 20.7 percentage points to 80.8%. In December 2022, traffic increased by 61.3% compared to the same period in 2021.
Let us hope that 2022 becomes known as the year in which governments locked away forever the regulatory shackles that kept their citizens earthbound for so long. It is vital that governments learn the lesson that travel restrictions and border closures have little positive impact in terms of slowing the spread of infectious diseases in our globally inter-connected world. However, they have an enormous negative impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, as well as on the global economy that depends on the unfettered movement of passengers and goods.
Willie Walsh – IATA’s Director General
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