November 2023 Sees Air Travel at 99% of Pre-Pandemic Levels
Air travel demand in November 2023 reaches 99% of 2019 levels.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently released data showing that air travel demand in November 2023 has reached 99% of the levels seen in 2019.
Total traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), increased by 29.7% compared to November 2022. This puts global traffic at 99.1% of the levels seen in November 2019.
International traffic in November 2023 saw a 26.4% increase compared to the same month in the previous year. International RPKs for November 2023 reached 94.5% of the levels seen in November 2019.
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, commented on the recovery, stating, “We are moving ever closer to surpassing the 2019 peak year for air travel. Economic headwinds are not deterring people from taking to the skies.”
Performance of MEA Region Airlines
Middle Eastern airlines reported an 18.6% increase in traffic in November 2023 compared to November 2022.
The capacity for November increased by 19.0% compared to the previous year, while the load factor fell slightly by 0.2 percentage points to 77.4%.
African airlines reported a 22.1% increase in RPKs in November 2023 compared to a year ago.
The capacity for November 2023 was up by 29.6%, but the load factor fell by 4.3 percentage points to 69.7%, the lowest among all regions.
