The November 2023 data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows that air travel is rebounding strong, with demand exceeding 99 per cent of 2019 levels. This reflects a notable increase of 29.7 per cent in total traffic compared to November 2022 and a global traffic recovery to 99.1 per cent of levels observed in November 2019.
International air traffic surged by 26.4 per cent in November 2023, with the Asia-Pacific region leading the way with an impressive surge of +63.8 per cent. International RPKs have reached 94.5 per cent of the levels recorded in November 2019.
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, mentioned that despite economic headwinds, international travel is steadily closing the gap to pre-pandemic levels. Domestic markets have been consistently above their pre-pandemic levels since April.
In November, Asia-Pacific Airlines led with a 63.8 per cent increase in traffic, while European carriers saw a 14.8 per cent increase. Middle East, North American, Latin American, and African airlines also experienced traffic increases ranging from 14.3 to 22.1 per cent.
In addition, Walsh highlighted the focus on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) at the Third Conference on Alternative Aviation Fuels (CAAF/3) in November. Governments are targeting five per cent carbon savings from SAF by 2030 and have acknowledged the need to shift away from fossil fuels to combat climate change. Airline commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is driving the use of SAF to pursue this goal.
Looking ahead to 2024, the forecast is for governments to implement concrete policy measures to drive the rapid expansion of SAF production. This is great news for travelers who are excited to see air travel making significant strides towards sustainability.
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