Global air travel traffic rose 37% in 2023

Total global traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) in 2023 rose 36.9% in 2023, compared to 2022 and 5.9% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to International Air Transport Association (IATA) data. December 2023 saw global traffic rise 25.3% compared to the same month a year prior, and was 2.5% below 2019 levels. The fourth quarter global traffic for 2023 was 1.8% below 2019 levels, marking significant passenger recovery post-Covid. ""The recovery in travel is good news. The restoration of connectivity is powering the global economy as people travel to do business, further their educations, take hard-earned vacations and much more,"" said IATA general director Willie Walsh. Domestic travel for 2023 was up 30.4% from the year prior and 3.9% above 2019 levels. December 2023 domestic travel was up 27% over December 2022 and 2.3% above 2019. Fourth quarter domestic traffic was up 4.4% over 2019, again marking the aviation industry's recover especially within domestic travel. ""Completing the recovery must not be an excuse for governments to forget the critical role of aviation to increasing the prosperity and well-being of people and businesses the world over,"" Walsh added. He noted that world governments should strategically examine sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production infrastructure to reach net zero targets and to introduce regulations that ""deliver a clear cost-benefit."" International travel numbers are yet to supersede 2019 with traffic being 11.4% below. However, it climbed 41.6% above 2022. December 2023 numbers for international traffic climbed 24.2% year-over-year (YOY), and was 5.3% below 2019 levels. International traffic seems to be recovering in the tail end of 2023 with fourth quarter results being 5.5% below 2019.