by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:10 AM ET, Thu September 7, 2023
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced
that total commercial airline traffic across the world increased in July, including
solid growth in the United States.
Total traffic in July, measured in revenue passenger
kilometers (RPKs), climbed by 26.2 percent compared to the same month in 2022,
with global traffic now reaching 95.6 percent of pre-coronavirus pandemic
levels.
In the U.S., domestic demand increased 11.1 percent in July
and was three percent higher than the monthly total in 2019.
Across North America, airlines reported a 17.7 percent rise
in traffic for July compared to the previous year, with capacity growing 17.2
percent and load factor improving 0.3 percentage points to 90.3 percent, which
was the highest among regions for a second consecutive month.
“Planes were full during July as people continue to travel
in ever greater numbers,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh said. “Importantly,
forward ticket sales indicate that traveler confidence remains high. And there
is every reason to be optimistic about the continuing recovery.”
Globally, domestic traffic in July rose 21.5 percent versus
July 2022 and was 8.3 percent above the July 2019 results. RPKs for the month reached
the highest ever recorded, strongly supported by surging demand in the Chinese
domestic market.
International traffic climbed 29.6 compared to the same
month last year, with all markets showing robust growth. International RPKs
reached 88.7 percent of July 2019 levels. In addition, the industry's passenger
load factor (PLF) gained 85.7 percent, the highest monthly international PLF
ever recorded.
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