Global airline traffic still just 75% of pre-Covid levels

Worldwide passenger traffic in November reached 75% of its November 2019 level, according to new data from IATA, the airline industry’s international trade association. That’s traffic measured by revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), which account for both passenger volumes and distance flown. Domestic traffic has recovered slightly faster than international, though the figures vary greatly by region. China still loomed large over the figures this past fall. The country’s borders are just now fully reopening to international flights, and domestic RPKs in November were just 30% of their total four years earlier. IATA is now actively urging governments to refrain from Covid testing requirements for inbound Chinese travelers, citing guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, among other experts. According to IATA, the prevailing view among epidemiologists is that “the reintroduction of testing for travelers from China can do little to contain a virus that is already present around the world.” Director General Willie Walsh added that governments were playing “science politics.” Walsh, who formerly was chief of International Airlines Group (IAG), was equally critical of China’s government for its own pre-departure testing requirements for inbound travelers. Airlines based in the broader Asia-Pacific region, including China, produced barely half the RPKs they did in November 2019. The declines across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa were less severe, down in the range of 15 to 17%. Latin American airline traffic was down just 8% from four years ago. North America was down a mere 3%.<br/>