The recovery in air passenger traffic continued during March, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) has reported. (Iata is the representative body of the global airline industry.) The war in Ukraine had only a limited impact while the effects of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 were largely restricted to domestic markets in Asia.

Overall air passenger traffic in March this year was 76% higher than in March last year. Domestic traffic rose 11.7% over the same period, but international traffic rocketed by 259.2%. However, domestic air travel in March 2022 was still 23.2% below the figure for March 2019 (before the Covid-19 pandemic hit). International air travel in March 2022 was 51.9% below the number for March 2019.

“With barriers to travel coming down in most places, we are seeing the long-expected surge in pent-up demand finally being realised,” pointed out Iata director-general Willie Walsh. “Unfortunately, we are also seeing long delays at many airports with insufficient resources to handle the growing numbers. This must be addressed urgently to avoid frustrating consumer enthusiasm for air travel.”

In regional terms, European carriers saw their total air passenger traffic soar in March, in year-on-year terms, by 246.9%. Middle East airlines were in second place, with a bound upwards of 221.1%. Then came Latin America (119.8%), North America (96.5%) and Africa (76.4%). Asia-Pacific carriers actually recorded a year-on-year fall of 17.9%.

Concerning only international air passenger traffic, and again in year-on-year terms, in March, Europe was also the leader, zooming 425.4%. In second place again came the Middle East (up 245.8%), with Latin America holding on to third place (239.9%) and North America again fourth (227.8%). The total figures for Asia-Pacific airlines had been dragged down by falls in domestic air travel, particularly in China; regarding only international traffic, the region recorded a year-on-year increase of 197.1%. African international air traffic was up 91.8%.

“The ongoing recovery in air travel is excellent news for the global economy, for friends and families whose forced separations are being ended, and for the millions of people who depend on air transport for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, some government actions are emerging as key impediments to recovery,” he highlighted. “To secure the recovery, and its economic and social benefits, the immediate priority is for governments to have plans in place to meet expected demand this [northern] summer.”