Air travel recovery continued in November
Latest IATA figures continue the welcome return to travel post-pandemic
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its latest passenger data, showing that air travel recovery continued into November 2022.
Total traffic in November 2022 – measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) – increased 41.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. Global traffic is now at 75.3 per cent of November 2019 levels.
International traffic rose 85.2 per cent compared to November 2021, with November 2022 international RPKs reaching 73.7 per cent of November 2019 levels. The Asia-Pacific continued to report the strongest year-over-year results, but all regions showed improvement when compared to the year before.
Domestic traffic only had a 3.4 per cent increase compared with November 2021, with travel restrictions in China continuing to affect global results. Total domestic traffic in November 2022 was at 77.7 per cent of the November 2019 level.
Willie Walsh, IATA Director General, said: “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 travellers 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 travelling 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.”