Global air traffic reached 68.5% of its pre-Covid-19 pandemic level in 2022, marked by a significant rebound in international traffic and strong regional disparities, the Association announced on Monday 6 February. International Air Transport Association (Iata).
Measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK), one of the industry benchmarks, domestic traffic climbed 10.9% year-on-year. Domestic routes have returned to 79.6% of their 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic which led to multiple travel restrictions around the world, according to statistics published by the body bringing together 300 airlines, representing 83% of the global traffic.
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Domestic traffic is on track to regain its pre-crisis level in Latin America (-0.5% compared to 2019), Europe (-3.1%), and North America (-6.3 %) but lagged behind in Asia-Pacific (-40.3%) due to prolonged travel restrictions, particularly within the large Chinese market.
In 2022, European air traffic has returned to 83% of the level before the Covid crisis
The “zero Covid” policy which continued in China until the beginning of December had led Iata that month to revise downwards the estimate of passenger traffic for the year at the global level, to 70.6 % of 2019 level, vs. 82.4% previously expected. It should return to 85.5% of the pre-crisis level in 2023, according to her.
International traffic multiplied by 2.5 in 2022
International traffic, which had been the most affected, was multiplied by 2.5 in 2022 and reached 62.2% of its 2019 level. Here again, if most continents have recovered three quarters of their traffic pre-crisis international market, Asia-Pacific was still down 68.2% compared to 2019. “The industry left 2022 in much better shape than it entered it, as most governments lifted Covid-19 travel restrictions during the year and people enjoyed the restoration of their freedom to travel »according to the director general of Iata, Willie Walsh.
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According to him, “this momentum is expected to continue into the new year despite the overreaction of some governments to the reopening of China”. Many countries have imposed Covid tests on travelers from China, where there was a major epidemic rebound after the end of restrictions, a practice deemed “impulsive” And “inefficient” by Iata.
