IATA has reported that total air traffic in
November 2022, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK),
rose 41.3% compared to November 2021.
Globally, traffic is now at 75.3% of November 2019
levels.
International traffic rose 85.2% versus November
2021, with Asia-Pacific reporting the strongest
year-on-year results with all regions showing improvement
compared to the prior year. November 2022 international RPKs
reached 73.7% of November 2019 levels.
Domestic traffic for November 2022 was up 3.4%
compared to November 2021 with travel restrictions in China
continuing to dampen the global result. Total November 2022
domestic traffic was at 77.7% of the November 2019 level.
“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 COVID19 and travel,”
said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “Epidemiologists, the
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and others have
said that the reintroduction of testing for travelers 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 traveling to China. Governments should focus on using
available tools to manage COVID19 effectively—including improved
therapeutics and vaccinations—rather than repeating policies that
have failed time and again over the last three years.”
Asia-Pacific airlines reported a 373.9% rise in
November traffic compared to November 2021. Capacity rose
159.2% and the load factor was up 35.9 percentage points to 79.2%.
European carriers’ November traffic climbed 45.3%
versus November 2021. Capacity increased 25.1%, and load factor
moved up 11.6 percentage points to 83.6%, the highest among the
regions.
Middle Eastern airlines saw an 84.6% traffic rise
in November compared to November 2021, with capacity increasing
45.4% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbing 16.5
percentage points to 77.7%.
North American carriers experienced a 69.9%
traffic rise in November versus the 2021 period. Capacity
increased 45.5%, and load factor climbed 11.6 percentage points to
81%.
Latin American airlines’ November traffic rose
59.2% compared to the same month in 2021. November capacity
climbed 55.6% and load factor increased 1.9 percentage points to
82.9%.
African airlines had an 83.5% rise in November
RPKs versus a year ago. November 2022 capacity was up 48.4% and
load factor climbed 14.2 percentage points to 74.3%, the lowest
among regions.
Brazil’s domestic RPKs rose 5.1% in November
compared to November 2021 and are now at 96.2% of 2019 levels.
US domestic traffic climbed 5.0% in November
compared to November 2021, pushing it to 99% of the November 2019
level.
IATA currently
represents about 300 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic.
