The International Air Transport Association (IATA) published air passenger traffic data for May 2022: Global air traffic increased by 83.1 percent compared to May 2021, reaching 68.7 percent of its pre-crisis 2019 level.
IATA International air traffic data for May 2022
According to IATA, in May 2022, domestic traffic increased by 0.2 percent compared to the previous year. China stood out with a 73.2 percent decline in its domestic market. May 2022 internal traffic was 76.7% of May 2019. International traffic also increased by 325.8 percent compared to May 2021. Many international routes, including Europe and Middle East-North America routes, have exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels. May traffic of European carriers increased by a percentage compared to May 2021. Growth in these areas was limited due to the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Situation in Asia
Asia-Pacific airlines recorded a 453.3 percent increase in traffic in May compared to May 2021. In May, Middle East airline traffic increased by 317.2 percent compared to May 2021. North American carriers experienced a 203.4 percent traffic increase in May compared to the 2021 period.
Latin American airlines’ May traffic increased by 180.5 percent compared to the same month of 2021. Some routes are performing above 2019 levels, including those from Central America to Europe and North America. African airlines posted an increase of 134.9 percent in May.