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By Chinelo Obogo
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said that international and domestic travel demand showed significant momentum in July 2021 compared to June, although demand remained far below pre-pandemic levels as government-imposed travel restrictions continue to delay recovery in international markets.
Total demand for air travel in July 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 53.1 percent compared to July 2019. This is a significant improvement from June when demand was 60 percent below June 2019 levels.
International passenger demand in July was 73.6 percent below July 2019, bettering the 80.9 percent decline recorded in June 2021 versus two years ago. All regions showed improvement and North American airlines posted the smallest decline in international RPKs.
Total domestic demand was down 15.6 percent versus pre-crisis levels (July 2019), compared to the 22.1 percent decline recorded in June over June 2019. Russia posted the best result for another month, with RPKs up 28.9 percent vs. July 2019.
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh said: “July results reflect people’s eagerness to travel during the Northern Hemisphere summer. Domestic traffic was back to 85 percent of pre-crisis levels, but international demand has only recovered just over a quarter of 2019 volumes. The problem is border control measures as government decisions are not being driven by data, particularly with respect to the efficacy of vaccines.
