IATA reported that global air traffic reached 95.7% of pre-COVID-19 levels in August 2023, with revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) increasing by 28.4% compared to August 2022.
International traffic increased 30.4% compared to the same month last year, with all markets enjoying double-digit percentage gains year-over-year.
International RPKs reached 88.5% of August 2019 levels.
“Air travel demand performed well in August,” said Willie Walsh, IATA director general. “Year-to-date international traffic is up 50% over last year and ticket sales data shows international bookings have strengthened for travel over the latter part of the year. »
Capacities have greatly increased in Asia Pacific
Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region saw a 98.5% increase in traffic in August 2023 compared to August 2022 and continue to lead the regions. Capacity increased by 85.5% and load factor increased by 5.5 percentage points to 84.2%.
In Europe, the occupancy rate is at its highest
European carriers’ traffic in August increased by 13.6% compared to August 2022, while capacity increased by 12.3% and the load factor increased slightly by 1.1 percentage points to reach 86.8%.
The Middle East is growing perfectly
Middle East airlines recorded a 27.3% increase in traffic in August compared to last year. Capacity increased by 22.7% and load factor climbed 3 percentage points to 83.1%.
North America improves its performance
North American carriers recorded an 18.6% traffic increase in August 2023 compared to the 2022 period. Capacity increased by 17.5% and load factor improved by 0.8 points percentage to reach 87.7%, which is the highest among the regions for a third consecutive month.
Latin America has nothing to complain about
Latin American airline traffic increased by 26.4% compared to the same month of 2022. Capacity in August increased by 23.8% and load factor increased by 1.7 percentage points to reach 86.1%.
Africa is also progressing
African airlines recorded a 26.1% increase in traffic in August 2023 compared to a year ago. Capacity in August increased 25.5% and load factor increased 0.4 percentage points to 76.2%.
We look back at air transport data from 2019
“As we approach the final quarter of the year, the airline industry has almost fully returned to 2019 demand levels,” added Willie Walsh. “The focus, however, has not been on returning to a specific number of passengers or flights, but rather on meeting the demand for connectivity from businesses and individuals, artificially suppressed for more than two years.”
