Passenger numbers are showing signs of recovering after historic year-on-year decreases recorded in April, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The association released its April figures which showed that that passenger numbers were down 94.3% on April 2019, an unprecedented drop, but signs suggest things are looking up.
Daily flight numbers rose 30% from the low point on April 21 and May 27, based primarily on domestic operations.
IATA admits this is from a very low base but suggests the industry has hit the bottom of the COVID-19 crisis providing there is no recurrence.
Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of IATA, said, “April was a disaster for aviation as air travel almost entirely stopped. But April may also represent the nadir of the crisis. Flight numbers are increasing. Countries are beginning to lift mobility restrictions.”
De Juniac added that business confidence is recovering in some key markets such as China and Germany, but the industry will take years to recover from the crisis.
IATA reported that international traffic was down 98.4% and domestic demand fell 86.9%.