Air traffic is taking another step towards completely digesting the difficulties that the sector has experienced due to Covid-19.
In December 2023, passenger traffic in France reached 100% of its December 2019 level, a first since the pandemic, reports the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC).
Over the whole of 2023, the sector has regained 94.5% of its pre-crisis passengers, at 169.6 million travelers, according to the monthly delivery of statistics from the administration.
The Covid-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on the global aviation sector, due to border closures and other travel restrictions.
In France, the volume of air passengers fell in 2020 to 30.2% of the previous year.
Initially timidly in 2021 (39% of 2019), traffic then resumed vigorously in 2022 (80.5%).
Dynamic Africa, Europe, Americas and Overseas
In 2023, international traffic will drive the recovery, returning to 97% of 2019 levels, notably thanks to connections with Africa (113.1%), the European Union (98.9%) and the Americas (97%).
On the other hand, domestic connections (excluding overseas territories), suffering competition from trains and the use of videoconferencing by companies, saw only 79.4% of their 2019 travelers transit last year, according to the DGAC .
Overseas, for its part, has almost erased the consequences of the pandemic, for 99.7% of 2019 travelers.