KUALA LUMPUR: Air travel has reached 99 per cent of 2019 levels in November last year, with the Asia-Pacific region reporting the strongest year-on-year (y-o-y) results as recovery continued, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
It said total air traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), rose 29.7 per cent y-o-y in November last year.
"Globally, traffic is now at 99.1 per cent of November 2019's levels," it said in a statement today (January 10).
IATA said international traffic rose 26.4 per cent y-o-y in November last year versus November 2022, and reached 94.5 per cent of November 2019's levels, while domestic traffic was up 34.8 per cent y-o-y and was 6.7 per cent above November 2019's level.
"The Asia-Pacific region continued to report the strongest y-o-y results (up 63.8 per cent), with all regions showing improvement y-o-y," it said.
IATA director-general Willie Walsh noted that international travel remains 5.5 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, but that gap was rapidly closing.
He added that domestic markets have been above their pre-pandemic levels continuously since April last year. — Bernama