Monthly international revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) change by region 2020

The year-on-year revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) change on international routes gradually declined from January to May 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Compared to May 2019, international RPKs were down 98 percent for Asian Pacific airlines in May 2020.

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 31 percent of the total market share in 2018, which is twice as large as 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 2020, the estimated impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry stood at 314 billion U.S. dollars in revenue loss. As the COVID-19 crisis persists, the decade long growth of passenger aviation could be disrupted throughout 2020. In the first half of 2020, it is forecasted that air passenger traffic globally will decline by at least by 431 million passengers.

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