REVEALED: Nigeria, other African airlines record 2.1% global traffic share in one year

Nigeria along with other African airlines’ total passenger traffic market shares by region of carriers in terms of Revenue Passenger Kilometers, RPK, stood at 2.1 per cent in the full year ended 31st March, 2023.

The region recorded the least market share with reference to RPK among the six regions in the world.

RPK is the number of paying passengers carried on scheduled flights multiplied by the number of kilometres those seats were flown.

According to the International Air Transport Association, IATA, which represents 300 airlines comprising 83 per cent of global air traffic, Europe tops the regions globally with 30 per cent RPK, while North American recorded 28.9 per cent.

Others include Asia-Pacific with 22.1, the Middle East with 9.8 percent and Latin America with 6.4 per cent.

IATA in its air traffic for March 2023 stated that there is strong demand growth in air travel.

The report noted that, “Total traffic in March 2023 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 52.4 percent compared to March 2022. Globally, traffic is now at 88.0 percent of March 2019 levels.

“Domestic traffic for March rose 34.1 percent compared to the year-ago period. Total March 2023 domestic traffic was at 98.9 percent of the March 2019 level.

“International traffic climbed 68.9 percent against March 2022 with all markets recording healthy growth, led once again by carriers in the Asia-Pacific region. International RPKs reached 81.6 percent of March 2019 levels while the load factor at 81.3 percent exceeded the March 2019 level by 10.1 percentage points.”

Meanwhile, in reaction to the development, IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, said: “The calendar year’s first quarter ended on a strong note for air travel demand. Domestic markets have been near their pre-pandemic levels for months. And for international travel two key waypoints were topped.

“First, demand increased by 3.5 percentage points compared to the previous month’s growth, to reach 81.6 percent of pre-COVID levels. This was led by a near-tripling of demand for Asia-Pacific carriers as China’s re-opening took hold. And efficiency is improving as international load factors reached 81.3 percent.

“Even more importantly, ticket sales for both domestic and international travel give every indication that strong growth will continue into the peak Northern Hemisphere summer travel season. As traveller expectations build towards the peak Northern Hemisphere summer travel season, airlines are doing their best to meet the desire and need to fly.”