KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — Total air traffic in January 2023, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs), rose 67 per cent compared to the same month in 2022, said the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
“Globally, air traffic is now at 84.2 per cent of January 2019 levels,” signalling a recovery in global passenger demand, it added.
IATA said domestic traffic for January 2023 rose 32.7 per cent compared to the year-ago period, helped by the lifting of the zero-Covid policy in China.
Total January 2023 domestic traffic was at 97.4 per cent of the January 2019 level, it noted.
Meanwhile, international air traffic surged 104 per cent in the month reviewed versus January 2022 with all markets recording strong growth, led by carriers in the Asia-Pacific region.
International RPKs also continued their steady growth to reach 77 per cent of January 2019 levels, it said.
“Asia-Pacific airlines posted a 376.3 per cent increase in January 2023 traffic compared to January 2022, by far the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions, but off of a very low base when much of the region was still closed to travel.
“Capacity rose 167.1 per cent and the load factor increased 36.6 percentage points to 83.3 per cent, the highest among the regions,” said IATA in a statement.
IATA director-general Willie Walsh said “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,” he said in the same statement.
