GLOBAL AIR TRAVEL STAYS 88% BELOW PRE-PANDEMIC LEVEL, REPORT

Wed 05 May 2021:

The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (Iata), has reported on Tuesday that March remained depressed at 87.8 percent of pre-pandemic March 2019 levels, even as domestic air travel pulled to within 32 percent of volumes prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) .

“The positive momentum we saw in some key domestic markets in March is an indication of the strong recovery we are anticipating in international markets as travel restrictions are lifted. People want and need to fly. And we can be optimistic that they will do so when restrictions are removed,” IATA Director-General Willie Walsh said in the report.

Total domestic demand was down 32.3 percent versus pre-crisis levels (March 2019), greatly improved over February 2021, when domestic traffic was down 51.

2 percent versus the 2019 period. All markets except Brazil and India showed improvement compared to February 2021, with China being the key contributor. The 87.7 percent decline in international travel in March represented a tiny improvement from the 89.0% decline recorded a month earlier, the report said.

The IATA said it was encouraged by the European Union’s decision to begin admitting vaccinated Americans, as well as announcements by 24 nations they will also welcome vaccinated travelers.

The report warned governments against relying on vaccinations alone and urged an increase in COVID-19 tests as an alternative to vaccines to avoid discriminating against those unable to receive inoculations for medical reasons.

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