According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the September figure was actually a slight improvement on the previous month when demand fell by 92.3 percent. September also saw airline capacity tumble by 78.5 percent in the Middle East while load factor sank by more than 40 percent compared to the same month last year to 34.4 percent. Total demand was 72.8 percent below September 2019 levels while capacity was down 63 percent compared to a year ago and load factor fell 21.8 percent to 60.1 percent. International passenger demand in September plunged 88.8 percent compared to September 2019, basically unchanged from the 88.5 percent decline recorded in August.
Although domestic markets are doing better, this is primarily owing to improvements in China and Russia. And domestic traffic represents just a bit more than a third of total traffic, so it is not enough to sustain a general recovery. Middle East’s aviation industry is set to lose more than 140 million passengers this year due to the ongoing impact of the global pandemic. 2020 passenger numbers in the Middle East are forecast to reach only 30 percent of 2019 levels, down significantly from the 45 percent that was projected in July. In absolute numbers, the Middle East is expected to see 60 million travelers this year compared to the 203 million in 2019. According to data published by the Air Transport Action Group of which IATA is a member, 1.7 million Middle East jobs will be lost in aviation and industries supported by aviation in 2020. GDP supported by aviation in the region will fall by up to $105 billion, 49 percent below pre Covid-19 levels.