The long-awaited crowd returned to the airports. But they seem taken aback. The world’s leading association of Airlines companies called on Wednesday to “treat urgently” the causes of the congestion. “As travel restrictions are lifted in most countries, the latent demand, the rise [des voyages aériens] long-awaited is finally coming to fruition,” said the Director General of the International Air Transport Association (Iata), Willie Walsh.
But “unfortunately, we are also witnessing long waits in many airports, due to insufficient resources to manage the increasing crowds”, noted Willie Walsh, quoted in a press release from his organization representing 290 companies and totaling 83% of the total. global passenger traffic. “We must treat urgently [ce problème] to avoid dampening consumer enthusiasm for voyages aerial,” warned Willie Walsh.
Spectacular progress in Europe
According to the latest figures from Iata, the month of March saw global air transport activity, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), the sector’s benchmark unit, reach 59% of the same month of 2019, i.e. the highest proportion since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
For the whole of 2021, global air traffic had plateaued at 41.6% of 2019, still in RPK. The progress is particularly spectacular in Europewith a 425% increase in March compared to the same month of 2021, it is true marked by travel restrictions due to the Delta variant of the Covid-19.
Cancellations and lack of staff
This recovery materialized despite the Russian invasion of Ukrainewhich caused airspace closures, but also a oil shock worsening inflation and disruption of supply chains. The concern expressed by Willie Walsh responds to the situation observed in recent weeks in European airports which have reduced their staff or those of their subcontractors in the face of the crisis, and are struggling to pick up the pace.
The KLM company was thus forced to cancel dozens of flights to and from Amsterdam-Schiphol last weekend, overwhelmed by a large crowd during the spring break. Unions representing employees or subcontractors of Groupe ADP, manager of the airports of Paris, also warned of the risk of congestion, particularly at security checks, while 4,000 positions are to be filled on these platforms and companies are struggling to recruit.
