The number of passengers transported in 2020 globally decreased by 60% compared to 2019, reaching the level of 2003

ICAO - the International Civil Aviation Organization is an agency of the United Nations - presented the figures for 2020 and the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on civil aviation.

ICAO confirms that in 2020 the number of passengers carried decreased by 60% compared to 2019, reaching the equivalent of 2003. In 2020, 1.8 billion passengers were transported, a drastic decrease compared to 2019 when 4.5 billion passengers were registered. Transport capacity also decreased by 50% compared to the previous year.

The number of passengers transported in 2020 globally decreased by 60%

According to the ICAO report, domestic passenger traffic fell by an average of 50%, while international passenger traffic fell by about 75%.

Airlines have reported total losses of more than $ 370 billion as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Airports reported losses of $ 115 billion, and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) reported losses of $ 13 billion.

Report shows losses by region. The $ 370 billion loss in gross revenue from passenger operations was broken down as follows: 120 billion losses by Asian / Pacific airlines, 100 billion losses by European airlines and 88 billion losses by North American airlines .

Airlines in Latin America – the Caribbean, the Middle East and Africa posted losses of 26 billion, 22 billion and 14 billion respectively.

The ICAO report indicated that the demand for air travel will be low in the first half of 2021, with most countries still applying restrictive measures.

It is expected that passenger air traffic will improve only in the second quarter of 2021, although this will continue to be subject to the effectiveness of pandemic management and the launch of vaccination.

In the most optimistic scenario, by June 2021, the number of passengers will increase and reach 71% of 2019 (53% for international flights and 84% for domestic flights). A more pessimistic scenario predicts only a 49% recovery (26% for international and 66% for domestic).

As can be seen, civil aviation is one of the most affected industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. No wonder that over 200 airports in Europe are on the verge of bankruptcyand Dozens of airlines have already filed for bankruptcy.