On Wednesday, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that in July, global passenger plane traffic continued its post-Covid recovery, driven by surging demand from the Chinese domestic market.

The press release from the IATA said that air traffic across the globe was up 26.2% in July year over year, in terms of revenue passenger kilometers (the number of passengers multiplied by the distance traveled). The IATA noted that globally, air traffic is now at about 95.6% of its pre-Covid levels.

In July, due to the Chinese market’s soaring demand, domestic aircraft transport increased 21.5% compared to the same period one year prior. It was 8.3% above the same period in 2019.

The percentage of filled seats, also known as the “passenger load factor,” for the global air travel industry hit 85.7%, marking the highest monthly international figure on record.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said, “Planes were full during July as people continue to travel in ever greater numbers. Importantly, forward ticket sales indicate that traveler confidence remains high. And there is every reason to be optimistic about the continuing recovery.”

The report showed Asia-Pacific airlines saw an increase of 105.8% in traffic for July of 2023 compared to July of 2022, as it continued to lead the regions. Following them were African, Latin American, and Middle Eastern airlines, as well as North American and European carriers.