Global air travel is making a strong recovery after reaching 74.6% of pre-crisis levels, according to International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The association released its July 2022 figures on Wednesday, September 7, with notable findings including total traffic had significantly increased compared with the same month in 2021 - despite some major airports imposing capacity cuts due to lack of staff.

All markets reported strong growth, with European airlines recording a year-on-year traffic increase of 116% in July, on the back of a capacity rise of 64%, and load factor climbing more than 20% to 86.7% - the second highest among all global regions. North American carriers just pipped this figure, with a slightly higher load factor of 88% and an overall traffic increase of 129.2% traffic in July compared to the previous year.

IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, said: “July’s performance continued to be strong, with some markets approaching pre-COVID levels. And that is even with capacity constraints in parts of the world that were unprepared for the speed at which people returned to travel.

“There is still more ground to recover, but this is an excellent sign as we head into the traditionally slower autumn and winter quarters in the Northern Hemisphere.”