The representative body of the global airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (Iata), has reported that air passenger traffic in May this year showed an accelerating recovery, on the eve of the peak northern hemisphere summer holiday travel season. In year-on-year (y-o-y) terms, total air passenger traffic in May was up 83.1%. International passenger traffic rocketed 325.8%. While domestic traffic rose only 0.2%, this was the result of severe travel restrictions imposed in China. Total passenger traffic this past May reached 68.7% of the levels of May 2019, which was before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. This was the highest level, compared with pre-Covid demand, achieved so far this year.
