Airlines in the Americas and Europe reported 100%+ increases in domestic and international passenger traffic in 2022, helping take full-year global traffic to 68.5% of the pre-pandemic level recorded in 2019, with Latin America posting the best results of any region.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade body made up of around 300 airlines carrying over 80% of global passenger traffic, Europe's 2022 traffic climbed 132.2% versus 2021, with capacity up 84%, and load factor up 16.7 percentage points to 80.6%. December demand climbed 46.5% compared to the same month in 2021.
Across the Atlantic, North American carriers reported a 130.2% annual traffic rise in 2022 compared to 2021, the IATA said, Capacity increased 71.3%, and load factor climbed 20.7 percentage points to 80.8%. December 2022 traffic rose 61.3% compared to the same month in 2021.
Further south, Latin American airlines recorded a 119.2% traffic rise in 2022 over 2021. Capacity climbed 93.3% and load factor up 9.7 percentage points to 82.2%, the highest of any region. December demand climbed 37.0% compared to December 2021.
The US domestic market demand remained strong in December and throughout the year, the IATA said, reaching 94.1% of 2019 traffic in 2022 and the month of December just 8.7% short of December 2019. In Brazil, the Americas' second biggest market, domestic traffic was close to pre-pandemic levels in 2022 with RPKs totaling 94.6% of 2019, while December 2022 RPKs were 9.3% lower than December 2019 RPKs.
“The industry left 2022 in far stronger shape than it entered, as most governments lifted COVID-19 travel restrictions during the year and people took advantage of the restoration of their freedom to travel," said IATA director general Willie Walsh, who previously ran Aer Lingus and later British Airways, who called on governments not to revive travel curbs imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
"They have an enormous negative impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, as well as on the global economy that depends on the unfettered movement of people and goods,” said Walsh.