Iata has announced that both international and domestic travel demand showed significant momentum in July 2021 compared with June, but demand remained far below pre-pandemic levels, with government-imposed travel restrictions continuing to delay recovery in international markets.
Total demand for air travel in July 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres, or RPKs) was down 53.1% compared with July 2019 (2019 is used for comparison as 2020 numbers were distorted by the pandemic). This is a significant improvement on June when demand was 60% below June 2019 levels.
International passenger demand in July was 73.6% below July 2019, which was an improvement on the decline of 80.9% recorded in June this year versus two years ago.
Total domestic demand was down 15.6% versus pre-crisis levels (July 2019), compared with the 22.1% decline recorded in June over June 2019.
“July results reflect people’s eagerness to travel during the Northern hemisphere summer. Domestic traffic was back to 85% of pre-crisis levels, but international demand has only recovered just over a quarter of 2019 volumes. 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 travellers should not face restrictions. That would go a long way to reconnecting the world and reviving the travel and tourism sectors,” said Willie Walsh, Iata DG.
Australia’s domestic traffic sank further from a 51.4% decline in June versus June 2019, to a 75.4% decline in July 2021 over July 2019, amid stricter domestic lockdowns in response to a spike in infections.
US domestic traffic continued to recover in July, and was down just 7.7% compared with July 2019, improved from a 14% decline in June 2021 versus June 2019.
Missed opportunity
“As the Northern hemisphere summer travel season draws to a close, it is clear that too many governments missed the opportunity to apply a risk-based approach to managing their borders. The growing number of fully vaccinated travellers and the prevalence of testing provided the chance to restore international connectivity and bring much-needed relief to economies that are heavily reliant on travel and tourism. Instead, governments continued to behave as if it was the summer of 2020. Economies and the labour force will pay the price for decisions that were made, not based on science but on political expediency. Governments have rightly urged their populations to be vaccinated; now governments need to have confidence in the benefits of vaccinations – including the freedom to travel,” said the DG.
