International passenger traffic down 89% in February, no sign of recovery: IATA

Global airline industry body IATA said international passenger traffic plunged 89% in February compared to the same month last year as COVID-19 infections climbed once more, and there was no sign of an aviation recovery yet.

"International passenger traffic was down almost 89% and is showing no signs of recovery in the current environment," IATA's new director general Willie Walsh said at a presentation on Wednesday.

Walsh, formerly the chief executive of British Airways-parent group IAG, was holding his first media briefing since taking on the IATA director general job at the beginning of April.