In December 2023, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that the upward trend in air travel persisted, bringing the total traffic for the year closer to pre-pandemic levels.
In 2023, total traffic (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) increased by 36.9% compared to 2022. On a global scale, the full-year traffic in 2023 reached 94.1% of the pre-pandemic (2019) levels. In December 2023, total traffic grew by 25.3% compared to December 2022, reaching 97.5% of the December 2019 level. The fourth quarter traffic stood at 98.2% of the levels seen in 2019, indicating a strong recovery towards the end of the year.
In 2023, there was a 41.6% increase in international traffic compared to 2022, and it reached 88.6% of the levels recorded in 2019. For December 2023, international traffic grew by 24.2% compared to December 2022, reaching 94.7% of the level seen in December 2019. Overall, in the fourth quarter, the traffic volume was at 94.5% of the levels recorded in 2019.
In 2023, there was a 30.4% increase in domestic traffic compared to the previous year. Domestic traffic in 2023 exceeded the full-year 2019 level by 3.9%. Specifically, domestic traffic in December 2023 was 27.0% higher than the same period in the previous year, and it surpassed December 2019 traffic by 2.3%. Additionally, the fourth quarter of 2023 saw a 4.4% increase in traffic compared to the same quarter in 2019.
According to Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, the strong rebound following the pandemic continued in 2023, with December traffic only 2.5% below 2019 levels. Quarter 4 performed exceptionally well, setting the stage for airlines to return to normal growth patterns in 2024. The recovery in travel is positive news, as it fuels the global economy by facilitating business activities, education, vacations, and more. However, to fully capitalize on the benefits of air travel in the post-pandemic era, governments must strategically approach the situation. This entails investing in cost-efficient infrastructure to meet demand, incentivizing the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to achieve our net zero carbon emission target by 2050, and implementing regulations that provide clear cost-benefit outcomes. It is crucial for governments to not overlook the critical role of aviation in enhancing the prosperity and well-being of individuals and businesses worldwide as they work towards completing the recovery.
International Passenger Markets
Asia-Pacific airlines posted a 126.1% rise in full year international 2023 traffic compared to 2022, maintaining the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions. Capacity rose 101.8% and the load factor climbed 9.0 percentage points to 83.1%. December 2023 traffic rose 56.9% compared to December 2022.
European carriers’ full year traffic climbed 22.0% versus 2022. Capacity increased 17.5%, and load factor rose 3.1 percentage points to 83.8%. For December, demand climbed 13.6% compared to the same month in 2022. December traffic was higher than the corresponding month in 2019 for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Middle Eastern airlines saw a 33.3% traffic rise in 2023 compared to 2022. Capacity increased 26.0% and load factor climbed 4.4 percentage points to 80.1%. December demand climbed 16.6% compared to the same month in 2022.
North American carriers reported a 28.3% annual traffic rise in 2023 compared to 2022. Capacity increased 22.4%, and load factor climbed 3.9 percentage points to 84.6%. December 2023 traffic rose 13.5% compared to the year-ago period.
Latin American airlines posted a 28.6% traffic rise in 2023 over full year 2022. Annual capacity climbed 25.4% and load factor increased 2.1 percentage points to 84.7%, the highest among the regions. December demand climbed 26.5% compared to December 2022.
African airlines’ annual traffic rose 38.7% in 2023 versus the prior year. Full year 2023 capacity was up 38.3% and load factor climbed 0.2 percentage points to 71.9%, the lowest among regions. December 2023 traffic for African airlines rose 9.5% over December 2022.
“Our push to connect our world even more strongly than before the pandemic must not come at the expense of our environment. The industry’s goal to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 remains steadfast. To accelerate the transition, we need governments and fuel suppliers to step up and do more. We saw a strong increase in the use of SAF in 2023, but SAF is still only 3% of all global renewable fuels production. That is unacceptable. Aircraft have no option but to rely on liquid fuels, whereas other transport modes have alternatives. A massive collective effort is needed to increase SAF output as a proportion of overall renewable fuel production as quickly as possible,” said Walsh.
