This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
Published on June 8, 2020, airline sector data indicates a recovery in passenger traffic in May, driven by domestic demand and business confidence in key markets.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), daily flights rose 30% between April 21 and May 27, 2020, while demand fell 94.3% year-on-year, the sharpest decline in the 30 years that IATA has been publishing monthly traffic data.
Domestic operations in Asia, the US, and Europe are leading the recovery, with many countries easing their lockdowns in May and some airlines announcing plans for a gradual return to service.
Tanzania was the first in East Africa to open its airspace to international air travel, starting June 1, and several airlines have announced plans to resume services to the country.
Flight levels in South Korea, China, and Vietnam are now 22-28% below 2019 levels, and searches for air travel on Google were up 25% at the end of May compared with the low point in April.
IATA director general and chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said, "April may represent the nadir of the crisis," noting that the number of flights was increasing and governments were lifting Covid-19 related restrictions.
