It planes for air transport.

Global traffic, expressed in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK by its acronym in English, one of the sector's benchmarks), reached "74.6% of the pre-crisis level", underlined the International Association of air transport (Iata) in a press release.

This result, obtained in the middle of the crucial summer season, marks a clear acceleration compared to June, when the sector had recovered 70.8% of RPK from 2019. The director general of Iata, Willie Walsh, welcomed the continuation "strong" of the recovery, noting that "some markets are approaching their pre-Covid levels".

Domestic routes are doing the best, with 86.9% of 2019 RPKs in July compared to 81.4% in June, thanks to a recovery in traffic in China after a spring marked by travel restrictions.

While international connections remain down, at 67.9% of the July 2019 level, they also recorded an increase compared to June (65%).

Their rate is especially weighed down by the situation in Asia, where some countries have not yet fully reopened their borders.

Strikes and cancellations

Confirmation of a general recovery is a "tremendous signal as we enter the traditionally calmer autumn and winter seasons in the northern hemisphere", added Willie Walsh, recalling that the results for July had been obtained "despite reduced capacities in some parts of the world".

The start of summer was marked in Europe and the United States by multiple delays, congestion and cancellations of flights due to shortages of personnel, whether baggage handlers, security guards or flight attendants. .

The sector has also experienced social movements to obtain wage increases and improved working conditions.

Iata nevertheless remains concerned about the prices of kerosene which remain very high, "a challenge for the companies", according to Willie Walsh.

For its part, the air freight sector evolved in July to 3.5% below the level of 2019 against a backdrop of falling orders, according to Iata.

This part of air transport has flourished during the health crisis thanks to the reduction in capacity and the explosion in demand, which have caused prices to jump.

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