Global air demand was down 53.1 per cent in July compared with its pre-pandemic level in 2019, according to the International Air Transport Association, a comparative improvement from a 60 per cent difference in June.
Meanwhile, July 2021 capacity dropped 45.2 per cent compared to its July 2019 level, and load factor was down 12.4 percentage points to 73.1 per cent.
International passenger demand in July was 73.6 per cent below July 2019, bettering the 80.9 per cent decline recorded in June 2021 versus two years ago.
Domestic demand continued to drive the recovery with July 2021 down 15.6 per cent from July 2019, an improvement from the 22.4 per cent decline in June.
Based on the latest bookings for August, global air demand outlook will be weaker due to rising Covid-19 cases, according to IATA. In particular, domestic travel bookings are falling due to China's imposition of strict domestic travel restrictions amid a growing spread of the delta variant in the country, the association said.
“July results reflect people’s eagerness to travel during the Northern Hemisphere summer. Domestic traffic was back to 85 per cent of pre-crisis levels, but international demand has only recovered just over a quarter of 2019 volumes,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general.
“The problem is border control measures. Government decisions are not being driven by data, particularly with respect to the efficacy of vaccines. People travelled where they could, and that was primarily in domestic markets. A recovery of international travel needs governments to restore the freedom to travel. At a minimum, vaccinated travelers should not face restrictions. That would go a long way to reconnecting the world and reviving the travel and tourism sectors.”
