Air travel demand continued to be severely impacted for Middle East airlines in July as many restrictions remained in place around the world amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Middle East airlines posted a 74.5 percent demand drop in July compared to July 2019, far higher than the global average.
This compared to a 79.2 percent decrease in June versus the same month in 2019.
IATA said capacity declined 59.5 percent in July and load factor deteriorated 30.1 percent to 51.3 percent compared to the year-earlier period.
Globally, IATA said travel demand showed significant momentum in July compared to June, but demand remained far below pre-pandemic levels.
Extensive government-imposed travel restrictions continue to delay recovery in international markets, it said.
Total demand for air travel in July was down 53.1 percent compared to July 2019, an improvement from June when demand was 60 percent below June 2019 levels.
“Domestic traffic was back to 85 percent of pre-crisis levels, but international demand has only recovered just over a quarter of 2019 volumes. The problem is border control measures. Government decisions are not being driven by data, particularly with respect to the efficacy of vaccines,” said Willie Walsh (pictured above), IATA’s director general.
“A recovery of international travel needs governments to restore the freedom to travel. At a minimum, vaccinated travellers should not face restrictions. That would go a long way to reconnecting the world and reviving the travel and tourism sectors,” he added.
Figures for August are likely to show an improvement in the Middle East after the UAE’s promotion to the UK amber travel list since when flight bookings between the two countries rose to over 30 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
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