Air travel posted a strong rebound in February 2022 compared to January 2022, as Omicron-related impacts moderated outside of Asia, the International Air Transport Association reported this week. IATA claimed the war in Ukraine, which began on 24 February, did not significantly impact traffic levels during the remaining days of the month.

• Total traffic in February 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) was 115.9% compared to February 2021. That is an improvement from January 2022, up 83.1% compared to January 2021. Compared to February 2019, however, traffic was down 45.5%.
• February 2022 domestic traffic was up 60.7% compared to the year-ago period, building on a 42.6% increase in January 2022 compared to January 2021. There was wide variation in markets tracked by IATA. Domestic traffic in February was 21.8% below the volumes of February 2019.
• International RPKs rose 256.8% versus February 2021, improving from a 165.5% year-over-year increase in January 2022 versus the year-earlier period. All regions improved their performance compared to the prior month. In February 2022, international RPKs were down 59.6% compared to the same month in 2019.

“The recovery in air travel is gathering steam as governments in many parts of the world lift travel restrictions. States that persist in attempting to lock out the disease, rather than managing it, as we do with other diseases, risk missing out on the enormous economic and societal benefits that restoration of international connectivity will bring,” said IATA’s director-general Willie Walsh.