August 8 2023  |  Aviation Trends

IATA: Passenger markets continue post-COVID recovery momentum

By Reedah Hayder

Latin American airlines had a 25.8 percent traffic increase compared to the same month in 2022

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported encouraging growth in the passenger markets during June 2023, indicating a robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Total traffic increased by 31 percent compared to June 2022, with global traffic reaching 94.2 percent of pre-COVID levels.

“The northern summer travel season got off to a strong start in June with double-digit demand growth and average load factors topping 84 percent. Planes are full which is good news for airlines, local economies, and travel and tourism-dependent jobs. All benefit from the industry’s ongoing recovery,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, in an August 8 press release.

Domestic and international traffic both experienced significant gains, rising by 27.2 percent and 33.7 percent, respectively, compared to the previous year.

Notably, Asia-Pacific airlines led the way with a substantial 128.1 percent increase in traffic. Additionally, North American carriers achieved the highest load factor of 90.2 percent. Despite the positive trend, African airlines saw a decline in the international load factor compared to the previous year.

Walsh added, “As strong as travel demand has been, arguably it could be even stronger. Demand is outrunning capacity growth. Well-documented problems in the aviation supply chain mean that many airlines have not taken delivery of all the new, more environmentally friendly aircraft they had expected, while numerous aircraft are parked awaiting critical spare parts. And, for the fleet that is in service, some air navigation service providers (ANSPs) are failing to deliver the requisite capacity and resilience to meet travel demand. Delays and trimmed schedules are frustrating for both passengers and their airlines. Governments cannot continue to ignore the accountability of ANSPs in places where passenger rights regimes place the brunt of accountability on airlines.”

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