Year-end 2022 Traffic Results: Passenger Continues Recovery & Cargo Nears pre-COVID Levels.

Passenger Demand Recovery Continued on Track by the end of 2022

December 2022 traffic indicates continued recovery as total traffic (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 64.4% compared to 2021.

Globally, full year 2022 traffic was at 68.5% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels.

• International traffic in 2022 climbed 152.7% versus 2021 and reached 62.2% of 2019 levels. December 2022 international traffic climbed 80.2% over December 2021, reaching 75.1% of the level in December 2019.

• Domestic traffic for 2022 rose 10.9% compared to the prior year. 2022 domestic traffic was at 79.6% of the full year 2019 level. December 2022 domestic traffic was up 2.6% over the year earlier period and was at 79.9% of December 2019 traffic.

“Let us hope that 2022 becomes known as the year in which governments locked away forever the regulatory shackles that kept their citizens earthbound for so long. It is vital that governments learn the lesson that travel restrictions and border closures have little positive impact in terms of slowing the spread of infectious diseases in our globally inter-connected world. However, they have an enormous negative impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, as well as on the global economy that depends on the unfettered movement of people and goods,” said Walsh.

• For deeper analysis, read full press release
• Read the latest Passenger Market Analysis (pdf)

Air Cargo Closes 2022 Near Pre-Pandemic Levels ?

Data for global air freight markets show that 2022 full-year demand for air cargo took a significant step back from 2021 levels but was close to 2019 performance.

• Global full-year demand in 2022, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), was down 8.0% compared to 2021 (-8.2% for international operations). Compared to 2019, it was down 1.6% (both global and international).
• Capacity in 2022, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), was 3.0% above 2021 (+4.5% for international operations). Compared to 2019 (pre-COVID) levels, capacity declined by 8.2% (-9.0% for international operations).
• December saw a softening in performance: global demand was 15.3% below 2021 levels (-15.8% for international operations). Monthly cargo demand tracked below 2021 levels from March 2022. Global capacity was 2.2% below 2021 levels (?0.5% for international operations). This was the tenth consecutive monthly contraction compared to 2021 performance. ?

“In the face of significant political and economic uncertainties, air cargo performance declined compared to the extraordinary levels of 2021. That brought air cargo demand to 1.6% below 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels. The continuing measures by key governments to fight inflation by cooling economies are expected to result in a further decline in cargo volumes in 2023 to -5.6% compared to 2019. It will, however, take time for these measures to bite into cargo rates. So, the good news for air cargo is that average yields and total revenue for 2023 should remain well above what they were pre-pandemic. That should provide some respite in what is likely to be a challenging trading environment in the year ahead,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.?

• Read full press release for details.
• View the air cargo market analysis (pdf)

IATA Signs Cooperation Agreement with the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia

IATA signed a cooperation agreement with the Government of the Federal Republic of #Somalia to strengthen the economic & social benefits of #aviation in the country.

"This agreement aims to realize the potential for social and economic development by focusing on global standards and best practices" said Kamil Al-Awadhi .

“Aviation is essential to the success of Somalia's development plans. The Government of Somalia is committed to developing its #airtransport sector to help promote long-term social and economic growth in the country" said H.E. Fardowsa Osman Egal, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Federal Republic of Somalia.

Read full press release for details.

In the picture:

• H.E. Fardowsa Osman Egal, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of Somalia
• Ahmed Moalllin Hassan, Director General of Somali Civil Aviation Authority
• Ambassador Mohamud Ahmed Tarzan, Somali Ambassador to Kenya
• Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President, Africa and the Middle East

Upcoming IATA webinars

??New IATA delay codes AHM 732: How to facilitate flight punctuality and improve performance analysis - 22 February, 01:00PM SGT

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Air connectivity, on its way to recovery

IATA’s measure of air connectivity – which takes into account the number of unique city pair connections and the economic importance of those routings – continued to recover in 2022.

Air connectivity fell by more than 70% following the onset of the?#COVID19 ?pandemic, but has been steadily recovering since around mid-2020.

The performance of domestic & international air connectivity has varied considerably over the past 3 years, with the former proving to be relatively more resilient. Domestic market air connectivity has risen to 86% of its 2019 level and international air connectivity continues to lag its domestic counterpart, at 77.4% of its pre-COVID performance.

For more details read IATA's latest #WeeklyChart .

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