In September, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the strong post-pandemic passenger traffic trend continued, providing a solid end to the third quarter of 2023.
As per the data, the Asia-Pacific region stood out with a remarkable 92.6 per cent increase in traffic for September 2023 compared to September 2022, continuing to lead in terms of annual improvement. The region also witnessed a capacity increase of 82.1 per cent, and the load factor improved by 4.5 percentage points, reaching 82.5 per cent.
Total traffic in September 2023, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), rose by a substantial 30.1 per cent compared to September 2022, and this growth pushed global traffic to 97.3 per cent of pre-Covid levels.
Notably, the domestic traffic reached a new high for the month of September, with a remarkable 28.3 per cent increase compared to September 2022, surpassing September 2019 levels by 5.0 per cent.
International traffic also surged, climbing by 31.2 per cent compared to the previous year, and all markets saw double-digit percentage gains. International RPKs reached an impressive 93.1 per cent of September 2019 levels.
“The third quarter of 2023 ended on a high note, with record domestic passenger demand for the month of September and continued strong international traffic,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Diving into specific international passenger markets, European carriers reported a solid performance with a 15.7 per cent rise in September traffic compared to September 2022. Additionally, capacity increased by 14.9 per cent, and the load factor slightly edged up by 0.6 percentage points to 85.5 per cent.
Middle Eastern airlines experienced a 26.6 per cent increase in September traffic compared to the previous year. Capacity also rose by 23.7 per cent, and the load factor climbed by 1.9 percentage points to 81.8 per cent.
North American carriers saw an 18.9 per cent rise in traffic for September 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Capacity increased by 18.0 per cent, and the load factor showed a modest improvement of 0.6 percentage points, reaching 85.6 per cent.
Latin American airlines reported an increase in traffic, with a growth of 26.8 per cent compared to the same month in 2022. September capacity also saw a healthy climb of 24.7 per cent, and the load factor rose by 1.4 percentage points to 85.8 per cent.
In Q2 FY24, traditionally the weakest quarter, the airline reported a profit of INR 8,061 million, excluding foreign exchange loss. Even after considering the foreign exchange loss of INR 6,171 million, the net profit for the quarter aggregated to INR 1,889 million. Compared to the same period last year, the airline saw a significant increase in capacity, with a surge of 27.7 per cent.
African airlines posted a 28.1 per cent increase in traffic for September 2023 compared to the previous year, although they faced a slight decline in the load factor, dropping by 1.0 percentage point to 72.6 per cent.
China‘s domestic market continued to perform well, with a staggering 168.7 per cent year-over-year increase in demand. However, it’s important to note that this growth is measured from a relatively low base in September 2022, when domestic travel restrictions were reintroduced in some Chinese provinces.
Japan‘s domestic traffic rebounded strongly from the impact of typhoons in August, with RPKs rising by 19.9 per cent compared to September 2022.
IATA, representing approximately 300 airlines, covering 83 per cent of global air traffic, compiles statistics based on direct airline reporting and estimates, including data from FlightRadar24 under license. These statistics encompass international and domestic scheduled air traffic for both member and non-member airlines.
Looking ahead, IATA’s Walsh emphasised the importance of preparing the entire aviation value chain to handle the expected demand in 2024. He expressed concerns about supply chain issues in the aircraft manufacturing sector and challenges faced by infrastructure providers, particularly air navigation service providers, due to equipment failures, staffing shortages, and labour unrest.
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There has been a strong resurgence in the Indian aviation market, which observed growth in domestic revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) and a significant increase in passenger demand, even as post-pandemic recovery in global passenger traffic continued to strengthen in August 2023.
As per data shared by IATA, Indian domestic RPKs soared by 23.2 per cent compared to the same period last year, marking the seventh consecutive month of growth and surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
India, accounting for 2.0 per cent of the world share in the domestic passenger market, also witnessed a 15.6 per cent growth in available seat kilometers (ASK) and an increase in passenger load factor (PLF) by 5.1 percentage points, reaching 83.9 per cent.
According to IATA, the WSS serves as a vital platform for addressing these multifaceted challenges and driving aviation towards its net-zero CO2 emissions objective by 2050. At the Symposium, several critical elements are under discussion to attain net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. These include climate impact mitigation strategies, where Sustainable Aviation Fuels are anticipated to be the major contributor.
IATA also reported that total domestic traffic for August, showcasing an increase of 25.4 per cent compared to the same month in 2022 and surpassed August 2019 results by 9.2 per cent. This growth was predominantly driven by robust demand in the Chinese domestic market. However, Japan faced disruptions due to Typhoon Khanun, which impacted its domestic air travel market, resulting in a growth rate of 8.7 per cent, slightly lower than the previous month.Global Passenger Traffic reaches 95.7% of pre-Covid levels
Globally, the aviation industry witnessed a strong resurgence, reported IATA, adding that the total traffic for August 2023, measured in RPKs, surged by 28.4 per cent compared to August 2022. Remarkably, this level of global traffic now stands at 95.7 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
International passenger traffic, on the other hand, climbed by 30.4 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year. All major international markets experienced double-digit percentage gains year-on-year, with international RPKs reaching 88.5 per cent of August 2019 levels.
“Demand for air travel performed well in August. For the year to date, international traffic has increased by 50% versus last year, and ticket sales data show international bookings strengthening for travel in the last part of the year,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Region-wise, Asia-Pacific airlines continued to lead the regions with a 98.5 per cent increase in traffic compared to August 2022, accompanied by a 5.5 percentage point increase in load factor, reaching 84.2 per cent.
Flights were on average 94 per cent full in September, unchanged on a year earlier. Ryanair expects traffic in its fiscal year to March 2024 to grow by 9 per cent to a record 183.5 million passengers. It set a string of all-time monthly traffic records over the busy summer months and Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said last week that current booking levels were around 4 per cent-5 per cent higher than last year.
European carriers reported a 13.6 per cent rise in August traffic compared to August 2022, with a 1.1 percentage point increase in load factor to 86.8 per cent.
Middle Eastern airlines saw a significant 27.3 per cent increase in August traffic, accompanied by a 3.0 percentage point increase in load factor, reaching 83.1 per cent.
North American carriers witnessed an 18.6 per cent traffic rise in August 2023 whereas the Latin American airlines reported a 26.4 per cent increase in traffic compared to August 2022.
African airlines experienced a 26.1 per cent traffic increase in August 2023 compared to the same month in the previous year.
Paving the sustainable path
Heading into the last quarter of the year, the airline industry is nearly fully recovered to 2019 levels of demand. The focus, however, has not been on getting back to a specific number of passengers or flights, but rather on meeting the demand by businesses and individuals for connectivity that was artificially suppressed for more than two years, stated Walsh.
“Having seen the economic, social, and personal losses when airlines could not fly during the COVID-19 crisis, this industry is determined to secure a sustainable long-term future by achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. That was clearly evident at the first IATA World Sustainability Symposium where discussions focused on how to decarbonize. We know that our customers want a world in which they can enjoy the freedom to travel sustainably,” added Walsh, mentioning that the inaugural World Sustainability Symposium was a critical step in aligning policy makers, the aviation value chain and airlines with the concrete steps needed to deliver.
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