ANKARA

World air traffic reached 96.1% of its pre-coronavirus levels this May thanks to strong demand for travel, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Thursday.

Air traffic – measured in revenue passenger kilometers, or RPKs – jumped 39.1% year-on-year in May.

Industry load factor rose to 81.8%, led by North American carriers at 86.3%.

"We saw more good news in May. Planes were full, with the average load factors reaching 81.8%," Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said in a statement.

Domestic air traffic surged 36.4% from a year earlier, surpassing its pre-virus level by 5.3% in May.

International traffic jumped 40.9% from last year, with RPKs reaching 90.8% of the 2019 level.

"Domestic markets reported growth on pre-pandemic levels. And, heading into the busy Northern summer travel season, international demand reached 90.8% of pre-pandemic levels," Walsh said.

Separate IATA data showed on Wednesday that global demand for air cargo, measured in cargo ton-kilometers, dropped 5.2% compared to May 2022.

Capacity, as measured by available cargo ton-kilometers, rose 14.5% compared to last year, primarily driven by belly capacity which increases as demand in the passenger business recovers.