The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that the imposition of travel bans by governments, against the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO), could threaten the aviation sector’s recovery.
“October’s traffic performance reinforces that people will travel when they are permitted to. Unfortunately, government responses to the emergence of the Omicron variant are putting at risk the global connectivity it has taken so long to rebuild,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director.
Total demand for air travel in October 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) was down 49.4 per cent compared to October 2019, but it's an improvement of 53.3per cent compared to the fall recorded in September 2021.
Globally, many countries have started imposing fresh restrictions after a rise in Covid-19 cases in addition to the emergence of the coronavirus new variant Omicron.
Speaking about the air travel record in the Asia-Pacific region, IATA said that it saw their October international traffic fall 92.8 per cent compared to October 2019, fractionally improved over the 93.1 per cent decline recorded for September 2021 compared to two years ago.