Over the past few months, the worldwide aviation industry has been witnessing a solid recovery; demand and capacity have both been increasing, sometimes the former faster than the latter, causing the average ticket prices to increase vis-à-vis the pre-pandemic year. In Brazil, for instance, LATAM reported a stunning 20% increase in passenger numbers compared to 2022, with the airline flying 2.4 million customers.
2.4 million passengers and counting: LATAM’s recovery in Brazil
According to the latest report released by the largest airline in South America, LATAM, the Brazilian aviation industry is witnessing a solid recovery.
Notably, LATAM reported a 16.6% increase in domestic demand, measured as Revenue Passenger Kilometres, or RPKs, followed by a 20.2% capacity increase. The latter result stems from LATAM’s network expansion in the South American country, where it currently offers 55 destinations.
LATAM’s latest report reads that the airline carried 2.4 million passengers on domestic flights in Brazil last month, a good 21.6% increase vis-à-vis the same month in 2022, when the airline carried 2 million passengers. Besides the increase in passenger numbers, the airline also reported a positive growth in the demand for air travel in Brazil. The airline’s RPKs were indeed 17% higher than the level reported in the same month of 2022. As a result of the increasing domestic demand, LATAM’s capacity in Brazil, measured in Available Seat Kilometers, or ASKs, also increased by 20.2% in April 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. LATAM’s overall load factor in the Brazilian market in April 2023 was, however, 2.4% lower compared to the same month in 2022, when it averaged 78.1%.