Global air travel rises 11% annually in April

International traffic jumped 15.8 percent at an annualized pace in April, with all regions showing strong growth. (Pexels Photo)

ANKARA – Global air traffic grew 11 percent 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, said IATA Director General Willie Walsh.

“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,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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