The increase was driven by a 122% year-on-year growth in international air travel during September 2022. On the other hand, domestic traffic has only increased by 6.9% during the same period.
Figures from European airlines reveal that total traffic increased by 60% in September 2021, as occupancy reached 85%, the second highest level in the world after North America (85.5%). International travel in Europe performed even better with a 78 per cent increase over the same month in 2021.
According to Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General: "Even with economic and geopolitical uncertainties, demand for air travel continues to recover. The outlier remains China with its pursuit of a zero covid strategy that keeps borders largely closed and creates a rollercoaster of demand for its domestic market, with September 46.4 per cent lower than the previous year."
"That contrasts sharply with the rest of Asia-Pacific, which, despite China's dismal performance, has recorded a 464.8 per cent increase in international traffic compared to the same period last year," Walsh adds.
