Demand for passenger air travel this year will be 3 percent higher than in 2019. Global passenger traffic exceeds pre-pandemic levels Economic Development
In the first quarter of 2024, air passenger traffic will be 2 percent higher than in 2019. These are the forecasts of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Experts also note that airlines maintained their operating profitability in 2023.
“The commitment of ICAO Member States to align their response to the pandemic with the recommendations developed by the ICAO Council was critical to the restoration of air services,” said ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano.
“Implementation of post-pandemic ICAO guidance is now equally critical to ensuring the sustainability and sustainability of this recovery,” he added.
Air passenger demand this year is projected to be about 3 percent above 2019 levels. This figure could rise to 4 percent, experts say, if the pace of recovery accelerates on routes where traffic has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. This means the compound annual growth rate between 2019 and 2024 will be around 0.5 percent.
“Targets agreed by governments for the decarbonization of air transport by 2050 year, support the green recovery and future development of the global air transport network,” said ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar.
“This is also supported by ICAO initiatives to accelerate the development and deployment of new technologies, operational improvements and cleaner aviation energy sources that are essential for decarbonization,” he added.
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ICAO also provides an update on the aviation situation for 2023. By the end of the year, air traffic on most routes had already reached or exceeded pre-pandemic levels. These figures are in line with ICAO’s earlier forecast of a near-full recovery of air passenger traffic by the end of 2023.
Among the major routes with passenger air traffic exceeding 2019 levels by the end of 2023 , – intra-European transportation, transportation to Europe from North America, from the Middle East, from South-West Asia and Africa, as well as from these regions to Europe. There has also been an increase in air travel from North America to Latin America and the Caribbean and vice versa.
Despite high fuel prices and economic uncertainty, total airline operating income in 2023 is estimated at $39 billion, consistent with 2019 levels. This profit is mainly due to increased passenger traffic and increased productivity in the industry. As in previous years, airlines in North America and Europe received the majority of the profits.