29-Jan-2025 3:51 AM
ACI World and ICAO: 2024 to be the first year for full recovery in global passenger volumes
ACI World and ICAO reported (28-Jan-2025) the following preliminary analysis for 2024 from its Passenger Traffic Report, Trends, and Outlook:
- ACI World estimated that 2024 will be the first year for global passenger volumes to fully recover and surpass 2019 levels, reaching 9.5 billion passengers (104% of 2019);
- RPKs are expected to reach 8.8 trillion (101% of 2019 levels), with most routes recovering or exceeding pre-pandemic levels. In its early 2023 short term forecast, ICAO predicted that most route groups would return to or exceed pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023. While this was largely achieved, the overall recovery remained slightly below expectations, at 94% of 2019 levels, primarily due to underperformance in certain route groups, particularly those involving Asia and especially routes to and from China;
- As of Jun-2024, total passengers for 2024 had increased 11% year-on-year, reaching 102% of the year to date level in Jun-2019. The international market drove the recovery with a 17% increase, while the domestic market experienced slower growth at 5%. [more - original PR]