Iata has announced that the recovery in air travel demand is continuing strongly into 2023, based on January traffic results.
Total traffic in January, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) rose 67% compared with January 2022. Globally, traffic is now at 84,2% of January 2019 levels.
Domestic traffic for January 2023 rose 32,7% compared with the same period last year, helped by the lifting of the zero-COVID policy in China. Total January 2023 domestic traffic was at 97,4% of the January 2019 level. International traffic climbed 104% versus January 2022, with all markets recording strong growth, led by carriers in the Asia-Pacific region. International RPKs reached 77% of January 2019 levels.
“Air travel demand is off to a very healthy start in 2023. The rapid removal of COVID-19 restrictions for Chinese domestic and international travel bodes well for the continued strong industry recovery from the pandemic throughout the year. And, importantly, we have not seen the many economic and geopolitical uncertainties of the day dampening demand for travel, says Willie Walsh, Iata DG.
African airlines’ traffic rose 124,8% in January 2023 versus last year. January capacity was up 82,5% and load factor climbed 13,9 percentage points to 73,7%, the lowest among regions.
Australia’s domestic traffic rose 107,3% in January compared with a year ago and now stands at 88,8% of pre-pandemic levels, while China’s domestic RPKs rose 37,2% in January, the first month-over-month annual increase since August 2022, and is now at 86,3% of January 2019 levels.
“With strong travel demand continuing through the traditionally slower winter season in the Northern hemisphere, the stage is set for an even busier spring and summer. At a time when many are just beginning to enjoy their newly restored travel freedoms, it is especially disappointing to see the Dutch government making plans to limit their movements by unilaterally and unjustly reducing operations at Schiphol Airport,” says Walsh.
