All the signs, and the
passengers, have been there.
Aviation is continuing
its torrid comeback from the devastation of the pandemic.
The
International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that the recovery in air
travel continued in December 2023, and total 2023 traffic edged even closer to
matching pre-pandemic demand.
The last
month of the year continued a trend that began earlier in 2023 and has carried
all the way through, including the Thanksgiving holiday, which was a record-setting
day for passengers.
Total traffic in 2023 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers
or RPKs) rose 36.9 percent compared to 2022. Globally, in the full year 2023,
traffic was at 94.1 percent of pre-pandemic (2019) levels.
December total traffic rose 25.3
percent compared to 2022 and reached 97.5 percent of the December 2019 level. Fourth
quarter traffic was at 98.2 percent of 2019, reflecting the strong recovery
towards the end of the year. RPK is often referred to as revenue per mile in
the United States.
“The strong post-pandemic rebound
continued in 2023,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh said. “December traffic
stood just 2.5 percent below 2019 levels, with a strong performance in quarter
four, teeing-up airlines for a return to normal growth patterns in 2024.”
International traffic last year climbed 41.6 percent versus 2022 and reached
88.6 percent of 2019 levels. In December 2023, global traffic rose 24.2 percent
over December 2022, reaching 94.7 percent of the level in December 2019.
Fourth quarter traffic was 94.5
percent of 2019, while Domestic traffic for 2023 rose
30.4 percent compared to the prior year. 2023 domestic traffic was 3.9 percent
above the full-year 2019 level.
December 2023 domestic traffic
was up 27 percent over the year-earlier period and 2.3 percent above December
2019 traffic. Fourth-quarter traffic was 4.4 percent higher than in the same
quarter in 2019.
“The recovery in travel is good
news. The restoration of connectivity is powering the global economy as people
travel to do business, further their educations, take hard-earned vacations and
much more,” Walsh continued. “But to maximize the benefits of air travel in the
post-pandemic world, governments need to take a strategic approach. That means
providing cost-efficient infrastructure to meet demand, incentivizing
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production to meet our net zero carbon emission
goal by 2050, and adopting regulations that deliver a clear cost-benefit.”
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