by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:25 AM ET, Thu May 4, 2023
Despite economic uncertainty and a possible recession
looming, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that demand
for commercial air travel continued to grow in March.
According to the latest IATA data, total traffic measured in
revenue passenger kilometers increased by 52.4 percent in March compared to the
same month in 2022. Global traffic is now at 88 percent of March 2019 totals.
March’s domestic traffic rose 34.1 percent compared to March
2022, with the total reaching 98.9 percent of pre-pandemic levels. On the other
hand, international traffic climbed 68.9 percent, with all markets recording
healthy growth.
“The calendar year first quarter ended on a strong note for
air travel demand,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh said. “Domestic markets
have been near their pre-pandemic levels for months. And for international
travel two key waypoints were topped.”
“Even more importantly, ticket sales for both domestic and
international travel give every indication that strong growth will continue
into the peak Northern Hemisphere summer travel season,” Walsh continued.
Traffic for airlines in North America climbed 51.6 percent year-over-year
in March, with capacity increasing 34 percent and load factor increasing 9.8 points
to 84.8 percent, the highest among the regions.
In Europe, carriers posted a 38.5 percent rise in traffic,
while capacity climbed 27 percent and load factor rose 6.6 points to 79.4
percent, which was the second lowest among the regions.
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