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Passenger Demand Recovery Continued in 2021 – IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced full-year global passenger traffic results for 2021 showing that demand (revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) fell by 58.4% compared to the full year of 2019. This represented an improvement compared to 2020, when full year RPKs were down 65.8% versus 2019.

Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to the respective 2019 period, which followed a normal demand pattern.

  • International passenger demand in 2021 was 75.5% below 2019 levels. Capacity, (measured in available seat kilometers or ASKs) declined 65.3% and load factor fell 24.0 percentage points to 58.0%.
  • Domestic demand in 2021 was down 28.2% compared to 2019. Capacity contracted by 19.2% and load factor dropped 9.3 percentage points to 74.3%.
  • Total traffic for the month of December 2021 was 45.1% below the same month in 2019, improved from the 47.0% contraction in November, as monthly demand continued to recover despite concerns over Omicron. Capacity was down 37.6% and load factor fell 9.8 percentage points to 72.3%.

Impact of Omicron Measures: Omicron travel restrictions slowed the recovery in international demand by about two weeks in December.

International demand has been recovering at a pace of about four percentage points/month compared to 2019.

Without Omicron, it would have been expected international demand for the month of December to improve to around 56.5% below 2019 levels. Instead, volumes rose marginally to 58.4% below 2019 from -60.5% in November.

“Overall travel demand strengthened in 2021. That trend continued into December despite travel restrictions in the face of Omicron,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

“That says a lot about the strength of passenger confidence and the desire to travel.

“The challenge for 2022 is to reinforce that confidence by normalizing travel.

“While international travel remains far from normal in many parts of the world, there is momentum in the right direction.

“Last week, France and Switzerland announced significant easing of measures.

“And yesterday the UK removed all testing requirements for vaccinated travelers.

“We hope others will follow their important lead, particularly in Asia where several key markets remain in virtual isolation”.

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