When Will Air Travel Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels?
Many industries were hit hard by the global pandemic, but it can be argued that air travel suffered one of the most severe blows.
The aviation industry as a whole suffered an estimated $370 billion loss in global revenue because of COVID-19. And while air travel has been slowly recovering from the trough, flight passenger traffic has yet to fully bounce back.
Where is the industry at in 2022 compared to pre-COVID times, and when is air passenger travel expected to return to regular levels? This graphic by Julie R. Peasley uses data from IATA to show current and projected air passenger ridership.
Air Travel Traffic: 2021 and 2022
After an incredibly difficult 2020, the airline industry started to see significant improvements in travel frequency. But compared to pre-pandemic levels, there’s a lot of ground to cover.
In 2021, overall passenger numbers only reached 47% of 2019 levels. This influx was largely driven by domestic travel, with international passenger numbers only reaching 27% of pre-COVID levels.
| Passenger numbers (% of 2019) | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| International | 27% | 69% |
| Domestic | 61% | 93% |
| Africa | 46% | 76% |
| Asia Pacific | 40% | 68% |
| Caribbean | 44% | 72% |
| Central America | 72% | 96% |
| Europe | 40% | 86% |
| Middle East | 42% | 81% |
| North America | 56% | 94% |
| South America | 51% | 88% |
| Industry-wide | 47% | 83% |
From a regional perspective, Central America experienced one of the fastest recoveries. In 2021, overall passenger numbers in the region had reached 72% of 2019 levels, and they are projected to (Read more...)
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