IATA Reviews International Passenger Visitors for December and Full Yr 2021

(26 Jan 2022)
 IATA’s full-year world
passenger site visitors outcomes for 2021 present that demand, measured in income
passenger kilometers (RPKs), fell by 58.4% in comparison with the total
yr of 2019, an enchancment in comparison with 2020,
when full yr RPKs have been down 65.8% versus 2019.

Worldwide passenger demand in 2021 was 75.5%
beneath 2019 ranges. Capability, measured in out there seat
kilometers or (ASKs), declined 65.3% and cargo issue fell 24
share factors to 58%.

Home demand in 2021 was down 28.2% in comparison with
2019. Capability contracted by 19.2% and cargo issue dropped 9.3
share factors to 74.3%.

Whole site visitors for the month of December 2021 was
45.1% beneath the identical month in 2019, improved from the 47%
contraction in November, as month-to-month demand continued to get well
regardless of considerations over Omicron. Capability was down 37.6% and cargo
issue fell 9.8 share factors to 72.3%.

Aeroflot Boeing 777 reg: VP-BGD. Image by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

Omicron journey
restrictions slowed the restoration in worldwide demand by about
two weeks in December. Worldwide demand has been recovering at
a tempo of about 4 share factors/month in comparison with 2019.
With out Omicron, we’d have anticipated worldwide demand for
the month of December to enhance to round 56.5% beneath 2019
ranges. As a substitute, volumes rose marginally to 58.4% beneath 2019 from
-60.5% in November.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director Common, stated,
“Total journey demand strengthened in 2021. That development continued
into December regardless of journey restrictions within the face of Omicron.
That claims so much concerning the energy of passenger confidence and the
want to journey. The problem for 2022 is to strengthen that
confidence by normalizing journey. Whereas worldwide journey
stays removed from regular in lots of elements of the world, there’s
momentum in the appropriate route. Final week, France and Switzerland
introduced important easing of measures. And yesterday the UK
eliminated all testing necessities for vaccinated vacationers. We hope
others will observe their vital lead, significantly in Asia
the place a number of key markets stay in digital isolation.”

Asia-Pacific airways’ full-year worldwide
site visitors plunged 93.2% in 2021 in comparison with 2019, which was the
deepest decline for any area. It fell 87.5% within the month of
December, a bit higher than the 89.8% decline in November. Full
yr capability was down 84.9% in comparison with 2019. Load issue fell
44.3 share factors to 36.5%.

European carriers noticed a 67.6% site visitors decline in
2021 versus 2019. Capability fell 57.4% and cargo issue decreased
20.6 share factors to 65%. For the month of December,
site visitors slid 41.5% in comparison with December 2019, an enchancment over
the 43.5% year-to-year decline in November.

Center Jap airways’ annual passenger volumes
in 2021 have been 71.6% beneath 2019. Annual capability fell 57.7% and cargo
issue dropped 25.1 share factors to 51.1%. December’s site visitors
was down 51.2% in comparison with December 2019, a stable pick-up from a
54.3% drop in November.

North American airways’ full yr site visitors fell
65.6% in comparison with 2019. Capability dropped 52.0%, and cargo issue
sank 23.8 share factors to 60.2%. December demand was down
41.7% in comparison with the identical month a year-ago, a pick-up over a
44.6% drop in November.

Latin American airways had a 66.9% full yr
site visitors decline in comparison with 2019. Capability fell 62.2% and cargo
issue dropped 10.2 share factors to 72.6%, the best amongst
areas. Visitors fell 40.4% for the month of December in comparison with
December 2019, considerably bettering the 47.3% decline in
November.

African airways’ worldwide site visitors fell 65.2%
final yr in comparison with 2019, which was the most effective efficiency amongst
areas. Capability dropped 56.7%, and cargo issue sank 14.1
share factors to 57.3%. Demand for the month of December was
60.5% beneath the year-ago interval, a deterioration from the 56.5%
decline in November, owing to the impression of presidency journey
restrictions in response to Omicron.

Home Passenger Markets

China’s home passenger site visitors fell 24.4% in
2021 in comparison with 2019. It was down 39.6% for the month of December
versus December 2019, which was an enchancment in comparison with a 50.9%
decline in November.

Russia’s home site visitors rose 24.2% for the total
yr, and 23.2% for the month of December, an acceleration over
the 17.5% rise in November. Russia was the one market to see
progress in RPKs in 2021 in comparison with 2019.

“As COVID19 continues to evolve from the pandemic
to endemic stage, it’s previous time for governments to evolve their
responses away from journey restrictions that repeatedly have been
proven to be ineffective in stopping the unfold of the illness,
however which inflict monumental hurt on lives and economies. A brand new
yr’s decision for governments ought to be to concentrate on constructing
inhabitants immunity and cease putting journey limitations in the way in which of
a return to normality,” stated Walsh.