Business Travel News Europe Business Travel News Europe
Business Travel News
  • NEWS & FEATURES
    • Accommodation
    • Air Travel
    • Ground Transport
    • Management
    • Meetings
    • On the Move
    • Payment & Expense
    • Technology
    • TMC & Distribution
    • Travel Procurement
    • Recent Issues
  • CONVERSATIONS
    • Expert Q&A
    • Columnists
    • Podcasts
    • VIEW ALL CONVERSATIONS
  • IN DEPTH
    • Global Insights: India in motion
    • A class of its own
    • Cracking the data puzzle
    • Culture club: How to engage global stakeholders
    • Artificial intelligence: Don't believe the hype
    • Artificial Intelligence
  • DATA & INSIGHTS
    • Reading the cards
    • Come together
    • Experience is everything
    • Stay for a while
    • Data disturbance
    • VIEW ALL
  • EVENTS
    • Webinars
    • Business Travel Show
    • Business Travel Accommodation Summit
    • Business Travel Tech Talk
    • Global Travel Risk Summit
    • Strategic Meetings Summit
    • VIEW ALL EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Leading 50 TMCs
    • Corporate cards & payments 2020
    • Podcasts
    • Recent Issues
    • Business Travel Buyer's Handbook
    • Business Travel Buyer's Techbook
    • Taking On Travel Risk Management
    • The Distribution Issue
    • Data Sources: The Reference Guide
  • NEWS & FEATURES
    • Accommodation
    • Air Travel
    • Ground Transport
    • Management
    • Meetings
    • On the Move
    • Payment & Expense
    • Technology
    • TMC & Distribution
    • Travel Procurement
    • Recent Issues
  • CONVERSATIONS
    • Expert Q&A
    • Columnists
    • Podcasts
    • VIEW ALL CONVERSATIONS
  • IN DEPTH
    • Global Insights: India in motion
    • A class of its own
    • Cracking the data puzzle
    • Culture club: How to engage global stakeholders
    • Artificial intelligence: Don't believe the hype
    • Artificial Intelligence
  • DATA & INSIGHTS
    • Reading the cards
    • Come together
    • Experience is everything
    • Stay for a while
    • Data disturbance
    • VIEW ALL
  • EVENTS
    • Webinars
    • Business Travel Show
    • Business Travel Accommodation Summit
    • Business Travel Tech Talk
    • Global Travel Risk Summit
    • Strategic Meetings Summit
    • VIEW ALL EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Leading 50 TMCs
    • Corporate cards & payments 2020
    • Podcasts
    • Recent Issues
    • Business Travel Buyer's Handbook
    • Business Travel Buyer's Techbook
    • Taking On Travel Risk Management
    • The Distribution Issue
    • Data Sources: The Reference Guide
Business Travel News
  • NEWS & FEATURES
    • Accommodation
    • Air Travel
    • Ground Transport
    • Management
    • Meetings
    • On the Move
    • Payment & Expense
    • Technology
    • TMC & Distribution
    • Travel Procurement
    • Recent Issues
    SubscribeBTN Europe NewsletterBTN Europe Magazine
  • CONVERSATIONS
    • Expert Q&A
    • Columnists
    • Podcasts
    • VIEW ALL CONVERSATIONS
    Bob Quick GSALaunch of new travel risk standard ISO 31030 is impeccable timing
    Adam Schrader RisklineTravel smarter to meet sustainability responsibilities
    Ema Boccagni ECA InternationalEmployers face difficult decisions as vaccine rollouts gather pace
  • IN DEPTH
    • Global Insights: India in motion
    • A class of its own
    • Cracking the data puzzle
    • Culture club: How to engage global stakeholders
    • Artificial intelligence: Don't believe the hype
    • Artificial Intelligence

  • DATA & INSIGHTS
    • Reading the cards
    • Come together
    • Experience is everything
    • Stay for a while
    • Data disturbance
    • VIEW ALL
    Reading the cardsReading the cards

    BTN Europe presents an overview of business travel and MICE predictions for this year

  • EVENTS
    • Webinars
    • Business Travel Show
    • Business Travel Accommodation Summit
    • Business Travel Tech Talk
    • Global Travel Risk Summit
    • Strategic Meetings Summit
    • VIEW ALL EVENTS
    5th Annual Global Travel Risk Summit Europe Virtual Event

    Virtual Event - 21 April 2021

    Sustainable Business Travel Summit Europe

    Virtual Event - 9 June 2021

    Business Travel Show Europe

    ExCeL London - 30 Sep - 01 Oct 2021

  • RESOURCES
    • Leading 50 TMCs
    • Corporate cards & payments 2020
    • Podcasts
    • Recent Issues
    • Business Travel Buyer's Handbook
    • Business Travel Buyer's Techbook
    • Taking On Travel Risk Management
    • The Distribution Issue
    • Data Sources: The Reference Guide

Air Travel

IATA: February global air travel demand falls further

By Dawit Habtemariam / 8 April 2021 / Contact Reporter
Share

Global air demand in February 2021 fell 74.7 per cent compared with its pre-pandemic level in February 2019, according to the International Air Transport Association, a deeper drop than the 72.2 per cent decline in January 2021. Compared with February 2019, global capacity in February 2021 dropped 74.7 per cent while global load factor fell 25.3 percentage points to 55.4 percent.

The decline was due to still-minuscule demand for international air travel, according to IATA. Compared with February 2019, international air demand in February fell by 88.7 per cent, the worst growth outcome since July 2020, according to IATA. International capacity fell 77.9 per cent compared with February 2019, and load factor dropped 38.8 percentage points to 40.8 per cent. Performance in all regions worsened compared to January 2021. 

[Report continues below chart.]

IATA February 2021 traffic


"February showed no indication of a recovery in demand for international air travel," said IATA director general Willie Walsh. "In fact, most indicators went in the wrong direction as travel restrictions tightened in the face of continuing concerns over new coronavirus variants."

February domestic demand was down 51 per cent compared to February 2019 and had a bigger fall than January, when it dropped 47.8 per cent. IATA attributed the February decline to China's weak domestic travel demand, which was influenced by the Chinese government's requests that citizens stay at home during the Lunar New Year travel period. February domestic capacity was down 37.1 per cent, and load factor dropped 18.3 percentage points to 64.3 percent.

A significant bright spot in domestic demand was in Australia, which saw its decline in demand versus 2019 ease from 81.6 per cent in January to 60.5 per cent in February. "An important exception was the Australian domestic market," Walsh said. "A relaxation of restrictions on domestic flying resulted in significantly more travel. This tells us that people have not lost their desire to travel. They will fly, provided they can do so without facing quarantine measures."

The US also saw an improvement in its domestic demand. In February, demand was down 56.1 per cent versus February 2019, less than the 60.3 per cent drop in January.

RELATED: January 2021 air passenger demand and capacity

More Air Travel
Related
Qatar Airways UV disinfectionQatar Airways introduces new disinfection system
United Boeing 777United to launch new European routes as countries loosen restrictions
India added to UK’s red listIndia added to UK’s red list

More Air Travel

Qatar Airways introduces new disinfection system
United to launch new European routes as countries loosen restrictions
India added to UK’s red list
Two-way travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand opens

VIEW ALL
Subscribe to the

BTN Europe Newsletter

pixel2

Click Here for our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

  • Most Read
  • Most Shared
  1. France votes to ban short-haul domestic flights
  2. Pay As You Fly: what it means for your travel programme
  3. Global travel taskforce report ‘another hammer blow’ for business travel
  4. North London-based TMC ceases trading
  5. Queues of up to six hours at Heathrow due to Covid checks
  1. Launch of new travel risk standard ISO 31030 is impeccable timing
  2. Mobility: Unravelling new layers of immigration red tape
  3. France votes to ban short-haul domestic flights
  4. Pay As You Fly: what it means for your travel programme
  5. Amex GBT calls on G7 to accelerate restart of international travel
Business Travel News Europe Business Travel News Europe
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • EDITORIAL CALENDAR
  • Business Travel Show
BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS
NORTHSTAR TRAVEL GROUP
Business Travel News
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Editorial calendar
  • Editorial guidelines
  • Subscribe to BTN Europe
  • Subscribe to BTN U.S.
  • Subscribe to Travel Procurement
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & conditions
Business Travel News Europe
Business Travel News Travel Procurement The Beat
Northstar Travel Group
  • Corporate travel
  • Business Travel Show
  • Business Travel Awards
  • BTN U.S.
  • The Beat
  • Travel Procurement

  • Travel Technology
  • Travel Tech Show
  • Phocuswire
  • Phocuswright
  • Intelliguide
  • Meetings & incentives
  • M&IT
  • AMI
  • ConventionSource
  • M&IT Awards

  • Retail travel
  • Travel Weekly
  • Travel Pulse

  • Northstar Travel Group
  • View all Northstar brands
Northstar Travel Group
Copyright ©2021, Northstar Travel Media Ltd, The Epworth, 25 City Road, London EC1Y 1AA, UK
RRManagement rrtestprocurement