IATA
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Passenger Recovery Continues in November
Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the air travel recovery continued through November 2022.
Total traffic in November 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 41.3% compared to November 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 75.3% of November 2019 levels.
International traffic rose 85.2% versus November 2021. The Asia-Pacific continued to report the strongest year-over-year results with all regions showing improvement compared to the prior year. November 2022 international RPKs reached 73.7% of November 2019 levels.
Domestic traffic for November 2022 was up 3.4% compared to November 2021 with travel restrictions in China continuing to dampen the global result. Total November 2022 domestic traffic was at 77.7% of the November 2019 level.
“Traffic results in November reinforce that consumers are thoroughly enjoying the freedom to travel. Unfortunately, the reactions to China’s reopening of international travel in January reminds us that many governments are still playing science politics when it comes to COVID-19 and travel. Epidemiologists, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and others have said that the reintroduction of testing for travelers from China can do little to contain a virus that is already present around the world. And China’s objections to these policy measures are compromised by their own pre-departure testing requirements for people traveling to China. Governments should focus on using available tools to manage COVID-19 effectively—including improved therapeutics and vaccinations—rather than repeating policies that have failed time and again over the last three years,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.November 2022 (% year-on-year)World share1RPKASKPLF (%-pt)2PLF (level)3Total Market 100.0%41.3%23.8%10.0%80.8%Africa1.9%84.5%51.7%13.3%74.8%Asia Pacific27.5%68.4%31.3%17.0%77.0%Europe25.0%37.0%19.6%10.6%83.8%Latin America6.5%27.8%27.6%0.2%82.0%Middle East6.6%77.9%41.3%15.9%77.5%North America32.6%19.6%13.3%4.4%83.2%1% of industry RPKs in 2021 2year-on-year change in load factor 3Load Factor Level 
International Passenger MarketsAsia-Pacific airlines had a had a 373.9% rise in November traffic compared to November 2021, which was the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions. Capacity rose 159.2% and the load factor was up 35.9 percentage points to 79.2%.
European carriers’ November traffic climbed 45.3% versus November 2021. Capacity increased 25.1%, and load factor moved up 11.6 percentage points to 83.6%, highest among the regions.
Middle Eastern airlines saw an 84.6% traffic rise in November compared to November 2021. November capacity increased 45.4% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 16.5 percentage points to 77.7%.
North American carriers experienced a 69.9% traffic rise in November versus the 2021 period. Capacity increased 45.5%, and load factor climbed 11.6 percentage points to 81.0%.
Latin American airlines’ November traffic rose 59.2% compared to the same month in 2021. November capacity climbed 55.6% and load factor increased 1.9 percentage points to 82.9%.
African airlines had an 83.5% rise in November RPKs versus a year ago. November 2022 capacity was up 48.4% and load factor climbed 14.2 percentage points to 74.3%, the lowest among regions. Domestic Passenger MarketsNovember 2022 (% year-on-year)World share1
RPKASKPLF (%-pt)2PLF (level)3Domestic62.3%3.4%-3.1%5.1%80.7%Australia0.8%190.0%90.5%29.0%84.4%Brazil1.9%5.1%7.0%-1.4%80.9%China P.R.17.8%-38.8%-41.6%2.9%64.0%India2.1%11.1%0.5%8.4%87.9%Japan1.1%37.3%17.7%10.8%75.5%US25.6%5.0%2.2%2.3%84.0%1% of industry RPKs in 2021 2year-on-year change in load factor 3Load Factor LevelBrazil’s domestic RPKs rose 5.1% in November compared to November 2021 and are now at 96.2% of 2019 levels.
US domestic traffic climbed 5.0% in November compared to November 2021, pushing it to 99% of the November 2019 level. November 2022 (% ch vs the same month in 2019)World share in1RPKASKPLF (%-pt)2PLF (level)3Total Market 100.0%-24.7%-24.6%-0.1%80.8%International37.7%-26.3%-26.9%0.7%80.9%Domestic62.3%-22.3%-20.8%-1.5%80.7%
View the November Air Passenger Market Analysis (pdf)Notes for Editors:IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 300 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic. You can follow us at twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information.Statistics compiled by IATA Economics using direct airline reporting complemented by estimates, including the use of FlightRadar24 data provided under license.All figures are provisional and represent total reporting at time of publication plus estimates for missing data. Historic figures are subject to revision.Domestic RPKs accounted for about 62.3% of the total market; the seven domestic markets in this report accounted for approximately 54.0% of global RPKs in 2021. Explanation of measurement terms:RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometers measures actual passenger trafficASK: Available Seat Kilometers measures available passenger capacityPLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used.IATA statistics cover international and domestic scheduled air traffic for IATA member and non-member airlines.Total passenger traffic market shares for 2021 by region of carriers in terms of RPK are: Asia-Pacific 27.5%, Europe 25.0%, North America 32.6%, Middle East 6.6%, Latin America 6.5%, and Africa 1.9%.Fly Net Zero -
Air Cargo Demand Softens in November
Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for November 2022 global air cargo markets showing that demand softened as economic headwinds persist.Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), fell 13.7% compared to November 2021 (-14.2% for international operations).Capacity (measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers, ACTK) was 1.9% below November 2021. This was the second year-on-year contraction following the first last month (in October) since April 2022. International cargo capacity decreased 0.1% compared to November 2021.Compared to pre-COVID-19 levels (November 2019), there was a smaller contraction in overall demand (-10.1%), while capacity was down 8.8%.Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:Global new export orders, a leading indicator of cargo demand, were stable in October. For major economies, new export orders are shrinking except in Germany, the US, and South Korea, where they grew. Global goods trade expanded by 3.3% in October. Given the softening in air cargo demand, this suggests that maritime cargo was the primary beneficiary. The US dollar has appreciated sharply, adding cost pressure as many costs are denominated in US dollars. This includes jet fuel, which is already at elevated levels. The Consumer Price Index for G7 countries decreased from 7.8% in October to 7.4% in November, the largest month-on-month decline in 2022. Inflation in producer (input) prices reduced to 12.7% in November, its lowest level so far in 2022. “Air cargo performance softened in November, the traditional peak season. Resilience in the face of economic uncertainties is demonstrated with demand being relatively stable on a month-to-month basis. But market signals are mixed. November presented several indicators with upside potential: oil prices stabilized, inflation slowed and there was a slight expansion in goods traded globally. But shrinking export orders globally and China’s rising COVID cases are cause for careful monitoring,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
November 2022 (% year-on-year)World share1CTKACTKCLF (%-pt)2CLF (level)3Total Market100.0%-13.7%-1.9%-6.7%49.1%Africa1.9%-6.3%-11.4%2.5%45.8%Asia Pacific32.6%-18.6%-4.5%-9.5%54.5%Europe22.8%-16.5%-6.6%-6.8%56.9%Latin America2.2%2.8%19.9%-6.4%38.2%Middle East13.4%-14.7%2.1%-9.3%47.5%North America27.2%-6.6%0.3%-3.1%41.9% 1 % of industry CTKs in 2021 2 Change in load factor 3 Load factor level November Regional PerformanceAsia-Pacific airlines saw their air cargo volumes decrease by 18.6% in November 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was the worst performance of all regions and a decline in performance compared to October (-14.7%). Airlines in the region continue to be impacted by lower levels of trade and manufacturing activity and disruptions in supply chains due to China’s rising COVID cases. Available capacity in the region decreased by 4.5% compared to 2021. North American carriers posted a 6.6% decrease in cargo volumes in November 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was an improvement in performance compared to October (-8.6%). Capacity increased 0.3% compared to November 2021.European carriers saw a 16.5% decrease in cargo volumes in November 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was an improvement in performance compared to October (-18.8%), thanks to the stronger new export orders in Germany. Airlines in the region continue to be most affected by the war in Ukraine. High inflation levels, most notably in Türkiye, also affected volumes. Capacity decreased 6.6% in November 2022 compared to November 2021.Middle Eastern carriers experienced a 14.7% year-on-year decrease in cargo volumes in November 2022. This was a marginal improvement to the previous month (-15.0%). Cargo volumes to/from Europe impacted the region’s performance, registering a 16.3% year-on-year decline in November. Capacity increased 2.1% compared to November 2021. Latin American carriers reported a 2.8% increase in cargo volumes in November 2022 compared to November 2021. This was the strongest performance of all regions, and a significant improvement in performance compared to October (-1.4%). Capacity in November was up 2.8% compared to the same month in 2021. African airlines saw cargo volumes decrease by 6.3% in November 2022 compared to November 2021. This was an improvement in performance compared to the previous month (-8.3%). Capacity was 11.4% below November 2021 levels. View the November Air Cargo Market Analysis (pdf) Notes for Editors:
* Please note that as of January 2020 onwards, we have clarified the terminology of the Industry and Regional series from ‘Freight’ to ‘Cargo’, the corresponding metrics being FTK (changed to ‘CTK’), AFTK (changed to ‘ACTK’), and FLF (changed to ‘CLF’), in order to reflect that the series have been consisting of Cargo (Freight plus Mail) rather than Freight only. The data series themselves have not been changed. IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 300 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic.You can follow us at twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information.* Please note that as of January 2020 onwards, we have clarified the terminology of the Industry and Regional series from ‘Freight’ to ‘Cargo’, the corresponding metrics being FTK (changed to ‘CTK’), AFTK (changed to ‘ACTK’), and FLF (changed to ‘CLF’), in order to reflect that the series have been consisting of Cargo (Freight plus Mail) rather than Freight only. The data series themselves have not been changed. Explanation of measurement terms:CTK: cargo tonne-kilometers measures actual cargo trafficACTK: available cargo tonne-kilometers measures available total cargo capacityCLF: cargo load factor is % of ACTKs usedIATA statistics cover international and domestic scheduled air cargo for IATA member and non-member airlines.Total cargo traffic market share by region of carriers in terms of CTK is: Asia-Pacific 32.6%, Europe 22.8%, North America 27.2%, Middle East 13.4%, Latin America 2.2%, and Africa 1.9%.Fly Net Zero -
IATA Statement on Imposition of Travel Restrictions for Travelers from China
“Several countries are introducing COVID-19 testing and other measures for travellers from China, even though the virus is already circulating widely within their borders. It is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years.
Research undertaken around the arrival of the Omicron variant concluded that putting barriers in the way of travel made no difference to the peak spread of infections. At most, restrictions delayed that peak by a few days. If a new variant emerges in any part of the world, the same situation would be expected.
That’s why governments should listen to the advice of experts, including the WHO, that advise against travel restrictions. We have the tools to manage COVID-19 without resorting to ineffective measures that cut off international connectivity, damage economies and destroy jobs. Governments must base their decisions on ‘science facts’ rather than ‘science politics’.”
Willie Walsh
IATA Director GeneralNotes for Editors:
IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 300 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic.You can follow us at twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information.Fly Net Zero -
October Passenger Demand & Forward Bookings Signal Continuing Recovery
01 December 2022 Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery in air travel continued in October.
Total traffic in October 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 44.6% compared to October 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 74.2% of October 2019 levels.
Domestic traffic for October 2022 slipped 0.8% compared to the year-ago period as stringent COVID-related travel restrictions in China dampened global figures. Total October 2022 domestic traffic was at 77.9% of the October 2019 level. Domestic forward bookings remain at around 70% of pre-pandemic level.
International traffic climbed 102.4% versus October 2021. October 2022 international RPKs reached 72.1% of October 2019 levels with all markets recording strong growth, led by Asia-Pacific. Forward bookings for international travel increased to around 75% of pre-pandemic levels, following the re-openings announced by multiple Asian economies.
“Traditionally, by October we are into the slower autumn travel season in the Northern Hemisphere, so it is highly reassuring to see demand and forward bookings continuing to be so strong. It bodes well for the coming winter season and the ongoing recovery,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.October 2022 (% year-on-year)World share1RPKASKPLF (%-pt)2PLF (level)3Total Market 100.0%44.6%23.9%11.8%82.0%Africa1.9%81.1%48.0%13.3%72.6%Asia Pacific27.5%36.8%13.9%12.7%75.5%Europe25.0%48.7%28.1%11.8%84.8%Latin America6.5%40.0%36.2%2.3%83.3%Middle East6.6%106.5%51.1%21.2%79.1%North America32.6%31.2%16.3%9.8%86.4%1% of industry RPKs in 2021 2year-on-year change in load factor 3Load Factor Level International Passenger MarketsAsia-Pacific airlines had a 440.4% rise in October traffic compared to October 2021, easily the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions, but off a very low 2021 base. Capacity rose 165.6% and the load factor climbed 39.5 percentage points to 77.7%.
European carriers’ October traffic climbed 60.8% versus October 2021. Capacity increased 34.7%, and load factor rose 13.8 percentage points to 84.8%, second highest among the regions.
Middle Eastern airlines saw a 114.7% traffic rise in October compared to October 2021. Capacity increased 55.7% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 21.8 percentage points to 79.5%.
North American carriers reported a 106.8% traffic rise in October versus the 2021 period. Capacity increased 54.1%, and load factor climbed 21.4 percentage points to 83.8%.
Latin American airlines posted an 85.3% traffic rise compared to the same month in 2021. October capacity climbed 66.6% and load factor increased 8.7 percentage points to 86.0%, the highest among the regions.
African airlines’ traffic rose 84.5% in October versus a year ago. October 2022 capacity was up 46.9% and load factor climbed 14.5 percentage points to 71.3%, the lowest among regions. Domestic Passenger MarketsOctober 2022 (% year-on-year)World share1
RPKASKPLF (%-pt)2PLF (level)3Domestic62.3%-0.8%-7.4%5.5%81.9%Australia0.8%292.9%143.2%33.2%87.2%Brazil1.9%9.7%17.0%-5.3%78.9%China P.R.17.8%-58.7%-56.3%-3.8%65.2%India2.0%22.7%16.0%4.5%81.5%Japan1.1%77.4%43.2%13.9%72.0%US25.6%12.1%3.8%6.5%87.8%1% of industry RPKs in 2021 2year-on-year change in load factor 3Load Factor LevelAustralia almost tripled its October domestic traffic from last year (+292.9%); traffic now stands at 15.8% below pre-pandemic levels.
China’s domestic RPKs fell 58.7% in October and is now 69.4% below October 2019 levels. October 2022 (% ch vs the same month in 2019)World share in1RPKASKPLF (%-pt)2PLF (level)3Total Market 100.0%-25.8%-25.7%-0.1%82.0%International37.7%-27.9%-28.6%0.8%82.1%Domestic62.3%-22.1%-20.6%-1.7%81.9%
The Bottom Line
“People are enjoying the freedom to travel, and businesses recognize the importance of air transport to their success. A recent survey of European business leaders doing business across borders showed that 84% could not imagine doing so without access to air transport networks and 89% believed being close to an airport with global connections gave them a competitive advantage. Governments need to pay attention to the message that air travel is fundamental to how we live and work. That reality should drive policies to enable aviation to operate as efficiently as possible while supporting the industry’s 2050 Net Zero emission goals with meaningful incentives to encourage the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels,” said Walsh.
View the October Air Passenger Market Analysis (pdf)For more information, please contact:
Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 22 770 2967
Email: corpcomms@iata.org
Notes for Editors:IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic. You can follow us at twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information.Statistics compiled by IATA Economics using direct airline reporting complemented by estimates, including the use of FlightRadar24 data provided under license.All figures are provisional and represent total reporting at time of publication plus estimates for missing data. Historic figures are subject to revision.Domestic RPKs accounted for about 62.4% of the total market; the 7 domestic markets in this report accounted for 53.9% of global RPKs in 2021.Explanation of measurement terms:RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometers measures actual passenger trafficASK: Available Seat Kilometers measures available passenger capacityPLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used.IATA statistics cover international and domestic scheduled air traffic for IATA member and non-member airlines.Total passenger traffic market shares for 2021 by region of carriers in terms of RPK are: Asia-Pacific 27.5%, Europe 25.0%, North America 32.6%, Middle East 6.6%, Latin America 6.5%, and Africa 1.9%.Fly Net Zero -
Headwinds Continue to Affect Air Cargo Demand in October
Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for October 2022 global air cargo markets showing that headwinds continue to affect air cargo demand. Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), fell 13.6% compared to October 2021 (-13.5% for international operations).
Capacity was 0.6% below October 2021. This was the first year-on-year contraction since April 2022, however, month-on-month capacity increased by 2.4% in preparation for the year-end peak season. International cargo capacity grew 2.4% compared to October 2021.
Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:
New export orders, a leading indicator of cargo demand, are shrinking in all markets except China and South Korea, which registered slightly higher new export orders in October.
Latest global goods trade figures showed a 5.6% expansion in September, a positive sign for the global economy. This is expected to primarily benefit maritime cargo, with a slight boost to air cargo as well.
The US dollar has seen a sharp appreciation, with the broad real effective exchange rate in September 2022 reaching the highest level since 1986. A strong dollar affects air cargo. As many costs are denominated in dollars, the currency’s appreciation adds another layer of cost on top of high inflation and high jet fuel prices.
The Consumer Price Index increased slightly in G7 countries in October and remains at a decades’ high level of 7.8%. Inflation in producer (input) prices reduced by 0.5 percentage points to 13.3% in September.
“Air cargo continues to demonstrate resilience as headwinds persist. Cargo demand in October — while tracking below the exceptional performance of October 2021– saw a 3.5% increase in demand compared to September. This indicates that the year-end will still bring a traditional peak-season boost despite economic uncertainties. But as 2022 closes out it appears that the current economic uncertainties will follow into the New Year and need continued close monitoring,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.October 2022
(% year-on-year)World share1CTKACTKCLF (%-pt)2CLF (level)3Total Market100.0%-13.6%-0.6%-7.4%48.7%Africa1.9%-8.3%-7.4%-0.4%43.7%Asia Pacific32.6%-14.7%-2.8%-7.8%56.1%Europe22.8%-18.8%-5.2%-9.3%55.8%Latin America2.2%-1.4%19.2%-8.1%38.4%Middle East13.4%-15.0%1.0%-9.0%48.0%North America27.2%-8.6%2.4%-4.8%40.1%1 % of industry CTKs in 2021 2 Change in load factor 3 Load factor level October Regional PerformanceAsia-Pacific airlines saw their air cargo volumes decrease by 14.7% in October 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was a decline in performance compared to September (-10.7%). Airlines in the region continue to be impacted by the war in Ukraine, and lower levels of trade and manufacturing activity due to Omicron-related restrictions in China. Available capacity in the region decreased by 2.8% compared to 2021. North American carriers posted an 8.6% decrease in cargo volumes in October 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was a decline in performance compared to September (-6.0%). Capacity increased 2.4% compared to October 2021.European carriers saw an 18.8% decrease in cargo volumes in October 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was the worst performance of all regions and a decline in performance compared to September (-15.6%). This is attributable to the war in Ukraine. High inflation levels, most notably in Türkiye, also affected volumes. Capacity decreased 5.2% in October 2022 compared to October 2021. Middle Eastern carriers experienced a 15.0% year-on-year decrease in cargo volumes in October 2022. This was a marginal improvement to the previous month (-15.8%). Stagnant cargo volumes to/from Europe impacted the region’s performance. Capacity increased 1.0% compared to October 2021. Latin American carriers reported a decrease in demand of 1.4% in cargo volumes in October 2022 compared to October 2021. This was the strongest performance of all regions, however it still was a significant decline in performance compared to September (10.8%). This was the first decline in volumes since March 2021. Capacity in October was up 19.2% compared to the same month in 2021. African airlines saw cargo volumes decrease by 8.3% in October 2022 compared to October 2021. This was a significant decrease in the growth recorded the previous month (0.1%). Capacity was 7.4% below October 2021 levels.
View the October Air Cargo Market Analysis (pdf)
Notes for Editors:IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic.You can follow us at twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information.* Please note that as of January 2020 onwards, we have clarified the terminology of the Industry and Regional series from ‘Freight’ to ‘Cargo’, the corresponding metrics being FTK (changed to ‘CTK’), AFTK (changed to ‘ACTK’), and FLF (changed to ‘CLF’), in order to reflect that the series have been consisting of Cargo (Freight plus Mail) rather than Freight only. The data series themselves have not been changed. Explanation of measurement terms:CTK: cargo tonne-kilometers measures actual cargo trafficACTK: available cargo tonne-kilometers measures available total cargo capacityCLF: cargo load factor is % of ACTKs usedIATA statistics cover international and domestic scheduled air cargo for IATA member and non-member airlines.Total cargo traffic market share by region of carriers in terms of CTK is: Asia-Pacific 32.4%, Europe 22.9%, North America 27.2%, Middle East 13.4%, Latin America 2.2%, and Africa 1.9%.Fly Net Zero
