Global domestic air travel in May 2022 was 0.2 pc more compared to the previous year. Remarkable improvements in markets were masked by 73.2 pc year on year decline in the Chinese domestic market due to Covid-19 restrictions.

According to passenger data for May 2022 released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the rebound in air travel intensified as we approached the busy summer travel season in the Northern Hemisphere. May 2022 saw an increase in total traffic of 83.1 pc (measured in revenue passenger kilometres, or RPKs), compared to May 2021. This increase was primarily caused by the robust recovery in international traffic. This means 68.7 pc of pre-crisis levels of global traffic are now being experienced.

Comparing May 2022 to the same month last year, domestic traffic increased by 0.2 pc. The Chinese domestic market experienced a 73.2 pc year-over-year fall as a result of Covid-19-related limitations, which obscured significant progress in many areas. Domestic traffic in May 2022 decreased by 76.7 pc from May 2019 and international traffic increased by 325.7 pc. The majority of Asia’s travel restrictions are being loosened, which is hastening the return of international travel. International RPKs in May 2022 increased by 64.1 pc over May 2019 levels.

“The travel recovery continues to gather momentum. People need to travel. And when governments remove Covid-19 restrictions, they do. Many major international route areas – including within Europe, and the Middle East-North America routes – are already exceeding pre-Covid-19 levels. Completely removing all Covid-19 restrictions is the way forward, with Australia being the latest to do so this week. The major exception to the optimism of this rebound in travel is China, which saw a dramatic 73.2 pc fall in domestic travel compared to the previous year. Its continuing zero-Covid policy is out-of-step with the rest of the world and it shows in the dramatically slower recovery of China-related travel,” says Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA.

European carrier’s May traffic rose 412.3 pc versus May 2021. Asia-Pacific airlines had a 453.3 pc rise in May traffic compared to May 2021. Latin American airline’s May traffic rose 180.5 pc compared to the same month in 2021. African airlines had a 134.9 pc rise in May RPKs versus 2021.