United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
International travel driving air traffic recovery
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced passenger data for May 2022 showing the recovery accelerated as the busy Northern Hemisphere summer season kicked off.
Total traffic in May 2022 in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) was up 83.1% compared to May 2021, largely driven by the strong recovery in international traffic.
Global traffic is now at 68.7% of pre-Covid levels.
International traffic increased 325.8% against May 2021.
The easing of travel restrictions in most parts of Asia has accelerating the recovery of international travel.
Overall, May 2022 international RPKs reached 64.1% of May 2019 levels.
“Many major international route areas including within Europe, and the Middle East-North America routes are already exceeding pre-Covid-19 levels,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
“Completely removing all COVID-19 restrictions is the way forward, with Australia being the latest to do so this week.”
The outlier to the rebound in travel is China, which saw a sharp 73.2% fall in domestic travel compared to the previous year.
“China’s ongoing zero-Covid policy is out-of-step with the rest of the world and it shows in the dramatically slower recovery of China-related travel,” Walsh added.
Overall Asia-Pacific capacity rose 118.8% with the load factor up 43.6 percentage points to 72.1%.
European carriers’ May traffic rose 412.3% versus May 2021.
Capacity rose 221.3%, and load factor climbed 30.1 percentage points to 80.6%.
The impact of the war in Ukraine remains limited to the areas directly impacted, IATA said.
Related News Stories:
Ray Monty
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
BA pilot dies during layover
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Protestors now targeting Amsterdam cruise calls