In September 2023, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a robust post-pandemic surge in passenger traffic, with a 30.1% increase compared to September 2022. Globally, overall traffic has reached 97.3% of pre-COVID levels. Domestic traffic set a new record for September, rising by 28.3% compared to the same month in 2022 and surpassing September 2019 levels by 5.0%. International traffic also experienced a significant increase of 31.2% year-on-year, with all markets seeing double-digit percentage gains. International revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) reached 93.1% of September 2019 levels.
Asia-Pacific Airlines led the international passenger markets with a 92.6% increase in traffic in September 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. European carriers experienced a 15.7% growth, Middle Eastern airlines saw a 26.6% increase, North American carriers saw an 18.9% rise, Latin American airlines’ traffic increased by 26.8%, and African airlines posted a 28.1% traffic increase.
In the domestic passenger markets, China’s domestic market continued to perform exceptionally well, with a demand increase of 168.7% year-on-year. Japan’s domestic traffic rebounded strongly, rising by 19.9% compared to September 2022.
Looking at the air cargo market, global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), increased by 1.9% in September 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), rose by 12.1%. Asia-Pacific airlines experienced a 7.7% growth in cargo volumes, North American carriers saw a 2.2% decrease, European carriers had a 1.5% decline, Middle Eastern carriers had a 2.5% increase, Latin American carriers experienced a 2.3% growth, and African airlines had a slight decrease of 0.1%.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, expressed optimism for a strong year-end peak season in the air cargo industry, despite challenges such as falling trade volumes and high jet fuel prices. The data indicates the resilience of the air cargo sector and its ability to maintain growth even in challenging conditions.
