The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that July sets all-time high for domestic passenger traffic highlighting a new milestone achieved by domestic revenue passenger-kilometers (RPKs) in the said month which increased 8.3% YoY to surpass the previous all-time high of 290 billion RPKs, set in July 2019.
“As a peak month for air travel, July has generally been the record-setting month for domestic RPKs. However, July 2023 was exceptional as seasonally adjusted domestic RPKs also outperformed their December 2019 record,” said IATA.
“China played a significant role in this July’s performance, with a 22.5% growth in domestic traffic compared to July 2019 levels, driven by domestic tourism and the easing of China’s zero-Covid policy,” explained IATA. “China’s domestic market historically contributes nearly 10% of total industry RPKs, making its recovery crucial for global traffic trends. China fully restored its domestic traffic in April 2023, and maintained impressive annual growth rates in May and June of over 7% and 15%, respectively.”
“India also witnessed steady growth, with domestic RPKs rising by 21.1% YoY in July, nearly matching 2019 levels. Japan’s domestic RPKs remained above 2019 numbers for the third consecutive month in July, while the US domestic market remained strong, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 3%. As the year progresses, we will gain further insights into the factors influencing domestic traffic, as domestic markets continue to adapt to the new normal and align with seasonal trends in passenger demand,” IATA added.
Source: IATA
Photo Credit: IATA