The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released promising data for November 2023, showing that global air travel demand is on the verge of surpassing pre-pandemic levels. According to IATA’s data, total traffic in November 2023, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs), increased by 29.7% compared to November 2022. Remarkably, the global traffic has now reached 99.1% of the levels seen in November 2019.
International air travel saw a significant rise of 26.4% in comparison to November 2022, with the Asia-Pacific region leading the surge. The region witnessed a 63.8% year-over-year increase, contributing to the international RPKs attaining 94.5% of the November 2019 levels. On the domestic front, traffic in November 2023 was up 34.8% from the previous year, with total domestic traffic surpassing the November 2019 level by 6.7%. China’s recovery from COVID-19 travel restrictions played a major role, showing an impressive 272% growth. The US also experienced robust growth in domestic travel, largely due to strong demand over the Thanksgiving holidays.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, expressed optimism about the recovery trajectory. “We are moving ever closer to surpassing the 2019 peak year for air travel. Economic headwinds are not deterring people from taking to the skies,” he said. Walsh pointed out that while international travel is still 5.5% below pre-pandemic levels, the gap is rapidly closing, and domestic markets have consistently been above their pre-pandemic levels since April.
Regional Breakdown of Passenger Traffic
- Asia-Pacific airlines: A remarkable 63.8% rise in November traffic compared to November 2022, with a load factor of 82.6%.
- European carriers: A 14.8% increase in November traffic from the previous year, with a slight decline in load factor to 83.3%.
- Middle Eastern airlines: An 18.6% rise in traffic, with a load factor of 77.4%.
- North American carriers: A 14.3% increase in traffic, despite a 1.4 percentage point drop in load factor to 80.0%.
- Latin American airlines: A 20.0% increase in traffic, achieving the highest load factor of 84.9%.
- African airlines: A 22.1% rise in RPKs, though with the lowest load factor among regions at 69.7%.
Walsh also highlighted the aviation industry’s commitment to transitioning to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for decarbonization. He emphasized the agreements made at the Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) and COP28, where governments recognized the urgency of shifting from fossil fuels to SAF.
He noted that while airlines are committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the production of SAF needs to be scaled up significantly. Walsh urged governments to implement comprehensive policy measures in 2024 to incentivize the rapid production of SAF, aligning with their declarations to mitigate climate change effects.
IThe IATA data for November 2023 paints a picture of a resilient and recovering aviation sector, with both international and domestic travel nearing pre-pandemic levels. The industry’s focus on sustainable practices, particularly the use of SAF, remains a critical component for future growth and environmental responsibility.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
