IATA reports strong recovery in flight traffic in February
International traffic for the month rose 256.8 per cent year-on-year for the month, while global domestic traffic figures also increased 60.7 per cent for the period compared with a year ago
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has confirmed that air travel rebounded strongly in February 2022 compared with the previous month, as the influence of Omicron reduced outside of Asia.
Total air traffic for the month, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) increased 115.9 per cent compared with February 2021. However, compared with pre-pandemic figures from February 2019, traffic was still down 45.5 per cent.
The figures for February are also an improvement from January 2022, which was up 83.1 per cent compared with January 2021.
IATA added that the invasion of Ukraine, which began in the last week of the month on 24 February, did not have a major impact on traffic levels.
“The recovery in air travel is gathering steam as governments in many parts of the world lift travel restrictions,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “States that persist in attempting to lock-out the disease, rather than managing it, as we do with other diseases, risk missing out on the enormous economic and societal benefits that a restoration of international connectivity will bring.”
“As the long-awaited recovery in air travel accelerates, it is important that our infrastructure providers are prepared for a huge increase in passenger numbers in the coming months,” said Walsh. “We are already seeing reports of unacceptably long lines at some airports owing to the growing number of travellers. And that is even before the surge of Easter holiday travel in many markets next week. Governments can help by ensuring that border positions are staffed adequately and that background security checks for new staff are managed as efficiently as possible.
International traffic rose 256.8 per cent year-on-year in February 2022
International traffic rose by 256.8 per cent in February 2022, compared with the same period in 2021, but were 59.6 per cent lower than for the same month in 2019. The figure also represented an improvement from January 2022, which reported a year-on-year increase of just 165.5 per cent.
Global domestic traffic in February 2022 rose 60.7 per cent compared with the year-ago period, building on a 42.6 per cent increase in January 2022 compared to January 2021. The figure was just 21.8 per cent below volumes recorded in February 2019.
In addition:
- Europe saw February air traffic rise 380.6 per cent versus February 2021, as capacity rose 174.8 per cent, and load factor climbed 30.3 percentage points to 70.9 per cent. This was an improvement over the 224.3 per cent year-on-year increase reported for January 2022
- Asia-Pacific airlines saw traffic rise 144.4 per cent in February 2022 compared with February 2021, a small rise from the 125.8 per cent gain registered in January 2022 versus January 2021. Capacity rose 60.8 per cent and the load factor was up 16.1 percentage points to 47 per cent, the lowest among regions
- Middle Eastern airlines’ traffic rose 215.3 per cent year-on-year in February 2022, well up compared to the 145 per cent increase in January 2022, versus the same month in 2021. February capacity rose 89.5 per cent versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 25.8 percentage points to 64.7 per cent.
- North America experienced a 236.7 per cent traffic rise in February versus the 2021 period, with capacity rising 91.7 per cent, and load factor climbed 27.4 percentage points to 63.6 per cent. This was a significant improvement from the 149 per cent traffic rise reported in January 2022 over January 2021.
- Latin America saw traffic rise 242.7 per cent in February 2022 compared with February 2021, far above the 155.2 per cent rise in January 2022 compared with January 2021. February capacity rose 146.3 per cent and load factor increased 21.7 percentage points to 77 per cent - highest load factor among all regions for the 17th consecutive month.
- African airlines had a 69.5 per cent rise in February RPKs versus a year ago, a large improvement compared to the 20.5 per cent year-over-year increase recorded in January 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. February 2022 capacity was up 34.7 per cent and load factor climbed 12.9 percentage points to 63 per cent.
- Brazil’s domestic traffic was up 32.5 per cent in February, compared to February 2021, which was a slowdown compared to the 35.5 per cent year-over-year growth recorded in January.
- US domestic RPKs rose 112.5 per cent year-on-year in February, an improvement compared to the 98.4 per cent rise in January versus the prior year.