ME carriers on track for full recovery by 2024: IATA

Middle East carriers are steadily moving towards full recovery, with expectations to bounce back to 2019 levels by the year 2024, according to IATA. Notably, the Revenue Passenger-Kilometers (RPKs) stand at 88 per cent of the 2019 figures, showing significant progress in the sector’s rebound, IATA Regional Vice President, Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, said. Despite the global turbulence in air travel due to COVID, recovery remains on track. Industry-wide RPKs are currently within 10 per cent of 2019 levels, marking a significant comeback, he added. Projecting a promising forecast for the Middle East aviation industry, he indicated air passenger numbers in the region are expected to double by 2040, reaching an impressive 550 million.