African carriers experienced a significant increase in traffic in June 2023, with a growth rate of 34.7% compared to the same month in 2022.
- This growth is part of the post-COVID recovery momentum in the aviation industry in Africa.
- According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) report, international traffic globally also saw robust growth, with a 33.7% increase in June 2023 compared to the same month last year.
- Among all regions, African airlines had the second-highest percentage gain in traffic during this period.
- However, African airlines’ capacity in June increased by 44.8%, and their load factor (the proportion of seats filled with passengers) decreased by 5.1 percentage points to 68.1%, the lowest among all regions.
- Africa was the only region to experience a decline in the monthly international load factor compared to the same period the previous year.
- Globally, overall air traffic has reached 94.2% of pre-COVID levels.
- In the first half of 2023, total air traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) was up by 47.2% compared to the same period in the previous year.
- The strong start to the northern summer travel season in June, with double-digit demand growth and high load factors, is positive news for airlines, local economies, and travel and tourism jobs, according to Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA.