More signs of improvement in demand for flying, finds IATA

Quantum Commodity Intelligence - The number of people flying on planes worldwide edged higher in May, while the global air cargo business continued to boom, data from the International Air Transport association showed Wednesday.

Passenger traffic, measured by how many kilometres flown by a customer, was 37.3% of May 2019 levels, but that was an improvement on the 34.8% figure seen in April.

International passenger traffic remained in the doldrums, with traffic in May 85.1% below the same month in 2019, a small step up from the 87.2% gap seen in April.

But domestic passenger traffic was only down 23.9% versus pre-crisis May 2019 levels, slightly improved on the 25.5% gap in April's two year comparison.  

Meanwhile, air cargo freight volumes, measured in how many tons were flown a kilometre, was up 9.4% in May compared to two years earlier.

Seasonally adjusted demand rose by 0.4% month-on-month in May, the 13th consecutive month of gains.

"As economies unlock, we can expect a shift in consumption from goods to services," said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General.  

"This could slow growth for cargo in general, but improved competitiveness compared to sea shipping should continue to make air cargo a bright spot for airlines while passenger demand struggles with continued border closures and travel restrictions."