The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data showing growing momentum in the recovery of air travel as restrictions are lifted.
The airline organization reported a sharp 11-percentage point increase for international tickets sold in recent weeks (in proportion to 2019 sales).
In the period around February 8 (7 day moving average) the number of tickets sold stood at 49% of the same period in 2019. That's a big improvement from the period around January 25, when the number of tickets sold stood at 38% of the same period in 2019.
The improvement between January and February is the fastest such increase for any two-week period since the COVID-19 crisis began.
The jump in ticket sales comes as more governments announce a relaxation of border restrictions. An IATA survey of travel restrictions for the world's top 50 air travel markets (comprising 92% of global demand in 2019 as measured by revenue passenger kilometers) revealed the growing access available to vaccinated travellers.
-- 18 markets (comprising about 20% of 2019 demand) are open to vaccinated travellers without quarantine or pre-departure testing requirements.
-- 28 markets are open to vaccinated travellers without quarantine requirements (including the 18 markets noted above). This comprises about 50% of 2019 demand.
-- 37 markets (comprising about 60% of 2019 demand) are open to vaccinated travellers under varying conditions.
"Momentum toward normalizing traffic is growing. Vaccinated travellers have the potential to travel much more extensively with fewer hassles than even a few weeks ago," said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General.
"This is giving growing numbers of travellers the confidence to buy tickets. And that is good news! Now we need to further accelerate the removal of travel restrictions," Walsh added, pointing out that thirteen of the top 50 travel markets still do not provide easy access to all vaccinated travellers. That includes major economies like China, Japan, Russia, Indonesia, and Italy.
IATA continues to call for the removal of all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine. It also wants to enable quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travellers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result, and an acceleration of the easing of travel restrictions in recognition that travellers pose no greater risk for COVID-19 spread than already exists in the general population.
"Travel restrictions have had a severe impact on people and on economies. They have not, however, stopped the spread of the virus," said Walsh. "In nearly all cases, travellers don't bring any more risk to a market than is already there. Many governments have recognized this already and removed restrictions. Many more need to follow."
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