Air passenger traffic will return to its 2019 level this year and even exceed it, the International Civil Aviation Organization estimated on Wednesday

The world passenger traffic will return this year to its level before the pandemic of coronavirus, before exceeding, at the end of 2023, the activity of 2019, estimated Wednesday the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This forecast counts on a new acceleration of air transport, after a year 2022 which saw the frequentation reaching 74% of the volume recorded in 2019, last full year before the arrival of Covid-19.

Passenger traffic had fallen by 60% in 2020 compared to the previous year. In 2021, it was still down 49% compared to 2019, according to the UN agency based in Montreal (Canada).
ICAO predicts that "demand will quickly return to pre-pandemic levels on most destinations during the first quarter" of 2023, according to a statement. The agency estimates that by the end of the year, traffic will be about 3% above 2019 figures. It sees it rising to 4% above that benchmark year in 2024.

"Three consecutive years of losses"

The organisation expects the sector to return to operating profitability (profit before tax and depreciation) in the last quarter of 2023, "after three consecutive years of losses". Many airlines have already returned to profit, mainly due to a renewed appetite for tourism and air travel. A resurgence that has not been slowed down by significant fare increases.
As regards air freight, ICAO expects a lower increase than that of passenger traffic, "due to the slowdown in global growth". In 2022, air freight traffic was equivalent to the volumes recorded in 2021.