Worldwide passenger traffic on planes up 5.1% in April

London (Quantum Commodity Intelligence) - Worldwide passenger numbers on planes picked up 5.1% in April from May after adjusting for the seasonal increase in demand, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

But the comparison to pre-pandemic 2019 remain a little more than a third of pre-pandemic levels amid dismal international flight numbers.

Global traffic, both domestic and international, in April was 65.4% lower than April 2019, up from 66.9% below March figures, measured by distance flown by passengers.

However, international flights are starting to pick up, with bookings jumping 25% in May from April, although from a very low figure.

Early booking figures for the three months from June to August indicate the start of a revival in summer demand, IATA added.

Last week, the US eased travel restrictions to 110 countries.