Latest Iata statistics show that ongoing recovery in air passenger demand continued in October. 

Total traffic in October (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose 31.2% compared with October 2022. Globally, traffic is now at 98.2% of pre-COVID levels.

Domestic traffic for October rose 33.7% versus October 2022, driven by the triple-digit percentage growth recorded in China, and was 4.8% above the October 2019 results. 

International traffic climbed 29.7% compared with the same month a year ago. All markets saw double-digit percentage gains year-on-year. International RPKs reached 94.4% of October 2019 levels. 

African airlines saw a 25.3% traffic increase in October versus a year ago. October capacity was up 32.4%, causing load factors to decline 4.0 percentage points to 70.3%, the lowest among the regions.

“October’s strong result brings the industry ever closer to completing the post-pandemic traffic recovery. Domestic markets remain above pre-COVID levels. International demand is recovering, but more slowly. In particular, Asia Pacific carriers’ international demand is 19.5% behind 2019.

“This could reflect the late lifting of COVID restrictions in parts of the region as well as commercial developments and political tensions,” said Willie Walsh, Iata Director General.