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Air Passenger Enplanements Soar 68% YoY in January 2023; International Travel Rebounds.

As the world continues to emerge from the pandemic, the aviation industry is finally experiencing a resurgence. According to recent data released by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), international air passenger travel to and from the United States saw a significant increase in January 2023, with enplanements up 68% compared to the same month in 2022.

In January 2023, U.S.-international air traffic passenger enplanements totalled 18.038 million, a remarkable 91% of the pre-pandemic January 2019 volume. The surge in enplanements was driven by a significant increase in non-U.S. citizen air passenger arrivals to the United States from foreign countries, which totalled 4.034 million, up 76% compared to January 2022 and 76% compared to pre-pandemic January 2019 volume.

In addition, overseas visitor arrivals, those staying in the United States for one night or more under certain visa types, totalled 1.930 million in January 2023, marking the fifteenth consecutive month that overseas visitor arrivals exceeded 1.0 million. While January overseas visitor arrivals reached 67% of pre-pandemic January 2019 volume, down from 71% in December 2022, the trend suggests that international travel is on a positive trajectory.

The world region highlights in January 2023 showed that total air passenger travel (arrivals and departures) between the United States and other countries was led by Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic, and Germany. The top U.S. ports serving international locations were New York (JFK), Miami (MIA), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), and San Francisco (SFO). Meanwhile, the top foreign ports serving U.S. locations were Cancun (CUN), London Heathrow (LHR), Toronto (YYZ), Mexico City (MEX), and Paris (CDG).

One of the most impressive figures from the NTTO report was the increase in air passenger travel between the United States and Europe, which soared 87% in January 2023 compared to the same period last year. Although it was down (-13%) compared to January 2019, the rebound in European travel is a clear sign that international travel is gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels.

As the aviation industry continues to recover from the pandemic, stakeholders should continue to support initiatives that promote safe and responsible travel. Governments, airlines, and travel companies must work together to ensure that travellers have access to accurate and up-to-date information about entry requirements, health and safety protocols, and other relevant details. With a collaborative and proactive approach, the aviation industry can emerge from the pandemic stronger and more resilient than ever before.