Global air travel rise 11% annually in April

By Tuba Ongun

Global air traffic grew 11% year-on-year in April, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Thursday.

This marked the 36th straight month of hike, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said: "As we enter the peak northern summer travel season, there is every reason to feel optimistic for a strong summer with airlines offering a wide range of travel options."

Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers, increased 9.6% from a year earlier while April's load factor rose by 1 percentage point to 82.4%.

International traffic jumped 15.8% at an annualized pace in April, with all regions showing strong growth.

Asia-Pacific airlines continue to lead the way, with a 32.1% annual increase in demand with strong traffic flows from the Middle East and Africa to Asia.

European carriers posted a 10.1% hike in demand, meaning international routes from Europe have surpassed pre-COVID levels to all regions except Africa.

Domestic traffic rose 4% during the same period while the capacity on domestic route was up 2%.

Separate IATA data on Wednesday showed that global demand for air cargo, measured in cargo ton-kilometers, gained 11% compared to last April, marking a fifth consecutive month of double-digit year-on-year growth.