Total traffic in May 2022 measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) was up 83.1% compared to May 2021, largely driven by the strong recovery in international traffic. Global traffic is now at 68.7% of pre-crisis levels.
Domestically significant improvements in many markets were masked by a 73.2% year-on-year decline in the Chinese domestic market due to Covid-19 related restrictions. May 2022 domestic traffic was 76.7% compared to the same month in 2019.
And the easing of travel restrictions in most parts of Asia is accelerating the recovery of international travel. May 2022 international RPKs reached 64.1% of May 2019 levels.
"The travel recovery continues to gather momentum. People need to travel. And when governments remove Covid-19 restrictions, they do. Many major international route areas – including within Europe, and the Middle East-North America routes – are already exceeding pre-Covid-19 levels. Completely removing all Covid-19 restrictions is the way forward, with Australia being the latest to do so this week.
"The major exception to the optimism of this rebound in travel is China, which saw a dramatic 73.2% fall in domestic travel compared to the previous year. Its continuing zero-Covid policy is out-of-step with the rest of the world and it shows in the dramatically slower recovery of China-related travel," said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Walsh highlighted the strains in the system that were appearing in some European and North American hubs as we head into the peak summer season in the Northern Hemisphere
He added: “Nobody wants to see passengers suffering from delays or cancellations. But passengers can be confident that solutions are being urgently implemented. Airlines, airports and governments are working together, however, standing up the workforce needed to meet growing demand will take time and require patience in the few locations where the bottlenecks are the most severe.
"In the longer term, governments must improve their understanding of how aviation operates and work more closely with airports and airlines."
