Airlines
2020 Worst Year on Record for Airlines, Says IATA
Thanks to the pandemic, last year marked the largest recorded decline in airline passengers transported since IATA recordkeeping began in the 1950s.
In 2020, China Southern Airlines ranked second in IATA's tally of air traffic data, with flight activity initially recovering more quickly from the Covid pandemic in China. (Photo: Airbus)
In 2020, China Southern Airlines ranked second in IATA's tally of air traffic data, with flight activity initially recovering more quickly from the Covid pandemic in China. (Photo: Airbus)

Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, last year marked the largest recorded decline in airline passengers transported since the International Air Transport Association (IATA) began tracking global revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) in the 1950s, according to the IATA World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) report released late on August 3. Overall, airlines flew 1.8 billion passengers last year, down 60.2 percent from 2019, while RPKs fell 69.5 percent year-over-year (YOY).