The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that post-Covid recovery momentum continued in June for passenger markets.

Total traffic in June 2023 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 31% compared with June 2022. Globally, traffic is now at 94.2% of pre-Covid levels. For the first half of 2023, total traffic was up 47.2% compared with the year-ago period.

Domestic traffic for June rose 27.2% compared with the same month a year ago and was 5.1% above the June 2019 results. Domestic demand was up 33.3% in the first half of 2023 compared with a year ago.

International traffic climbed 33.7% versus June 2022, with all markets showing robust growth. International RPKs reached 88.2% of June 2019 levels. First half 2023 international traffic was up 58.6% over the first half of 2022.
North American carriers saw traffic climb 23.3% in June 2023 versus the 2022 period. Capacity increased 19.5%, and load factor rose 2.7 percentage points to 90.2%, which was the highest among the regions.

Willie Walsh, director general, said the northern summer travel season got off to a strong start in June, with double-digit demand growth and average load factors topping 84%. “Planes are full, which is good news for airlines, local economies, and travel and tourism dependent jobs,” he said. “All benefit from the industry’s ongoing recovery.”