KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — The recovery of air travel continues with total traffic up 76.0 per cent this March compared to March 2021, said the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
In its passenger data for March 2022, IATA said overall impacts from the conflict in Ukraine on air travel demand were limited while Omicron-related effects continued to be confined largely to Asian domestic markets.
“Although traffic in March 2022 was lower than the 115.9 per cent rise in February’s year-over-year (y-o-y) demand, volumes in March were the closest to the 2019 pre-pandemic levels, at 41 per cent below,” it said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, IATA said domestic traffic in March was up 11.7 per cent compared to the year-ago period, far below the 59.4 per cent y-o-y improvement recorded in February.
“This was largely due to the Omicron-related lockdowns in China. March domestic revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) were down 23.2 per cent versus March 2019,” it explained.
IATA also noted that international RPKs rose 285.3 per cent versus March 2021, exceeding the 259.2 per cent gain experienced in February versus the year-earlier period.
“Most regions boosted their performance compared to the prior month, led by carriers in Europe.
“Asia-Pacific airlines had a traffic rise of 197.1 per cent in March compared to March 2021, up over the 146.5 per cent gain registered in February 2022 versus February 2021,” it said.
According to IATA’s director general Willie Walsh, the long-expected surge in pent-up demand is finally being realised with barriers to travel coming down in most places.
“Unfortunately, we are also seeing long delays at many airports with insufficient resources to handle the growing numbers. This must be addressed urgently to avoid frustrating consumer enthusiasm for air travel,” he said.
Walsh said the ongoing recovery in air travel is excellent news for the global economy, friends and families whose forced separations were being ended, and millions of people depending on air transport for their livelihoods.
“Unfortunately, some government actions are emerging as key impediments to recovery. This is demonstrated most dramatically in the Netherlands,” he added.
— Bernama
