THE INTERNATIONAL Air Transport Association (IATA) has confirmed that 2020 was the “worst year on record” for the airline industry, due to the damaging effects of the pandemic.
Some of the crucial figures, disclosed through its IATA World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) publication, showed that just 1.8 billion passengers flew during 2020, a stark contrast to the 4.5 billion who took to the air in 2019 and a decrease of 60%. Total international passenger demand dropped by 75.6%, with the domestic equivalent falling by 48.8% – both compared with 2019. Total industry passenger revenues decreased by 69% to $189bn in 2020, while net losses were $126.4bn.