Air passenger traffic continues to rise despite Chinese restrictions 

08-11-22

Air traffic has reached almost three quarters of pre-pandemic figures during September as the "strong" recovery continues, despite the impact of China's ongoing border restrictions.

The latest data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows that global air traffic reached 74% of 2019 levels in September when measured by revenue passenger kilometres. It also represents a 57% increase compared to September 2021.

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.