Monthly international revenue-passenger kilometers (RPK) change by region 2021

The year-on-year revenue-passenger kilometers (RPK) change on international routes improved from January to December 2021 despite the coronavirus outbreak. Compared to December 2020, international RPKs were up 133 percent for Asian Pacific airlines in December 2021.

Global passenger aviation

Since 2004, scheduled passenger traffic increased globally, reaching 4.5 billion travelers in 2019. One of the major reasons behind this growth is the increasing share of low cost carriers in the aviation industry, attaining 35 percent of the total market share in 2020, which is more than twice the market share of low cost carriers in 2006.

COVID-19 impact on passenger aviation

The corona virus as a health shock impacts almost every dimension of the economy and society. Its implications on the global aviation industry revealed to be far reaching, as most of the airliners can't continue their operations due to lockdowns and other border control measures taken by the governments. As of April 2021, the estimated impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry stood at 370 billion U.S. dollars in revenue loss. As the COVID-19 crisis persists, the decade long growth of passenger aviation could be disrupted throughout 2021. In 2020, air passenger traffic globally declined by at least 2.8 billion passengers.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Fact and Figures page.