Iata has urged governments to avoid a repeat of “Europe’s mistake” on passenger rights regulations, as it revealed air passenger traffic is now at 90.5% of pre-Covid levels.
Total traffic in April rose 45.8% year on year and the 81.3% average load factor was only 1.8 percentage points below pre-pandemic level.
International traffic climbed 48% year on year, with all markets recording “healthy” growth, with carriers in the Asia-Pacific region continuing to lead the recovery.
European carriers had a 22.6% year on year traffic rise, while capacity increased 16%, and load factor climbed 4.5 percentage points to 83.3%.
Willie Walsh, Iata director general, said: “April continued the strong traffic trend we saw in the 2023 first quarter.
“The easing of inflation and rising consumer confidence in most OECD countries combined with declining jet fuel prices, suggests sustained strong air travel demand and moderating cost pressures.”
However, he also criticised some governments for considering “punitive regulation” instead of “hassle-free travel”.
“The Dutch government’s high-handed effort to slash capacity at Schiphol airport is a prime example,” he said.
“And then we have a focus on EU-style passenger rights regulation that is spreading like a contagion.
“Proponents of this approach miss a key fact. EU 261 has not led to a reduction in delays.
“That’s because penalising airlines raises airline costs but does not address delays caused by factors over which airlines have no control, such as inefficient air traffic management or staffing shortages at air navigation service providers.
“The single best thing that Europe could do to improve the travel experience is deliver the Single European Sky. As for other governments contemplating passenger rights regulations, avoiding a repeat of Europe’s mistake would be a helpful starting point.”