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Travel and Tourism

December 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

  • Air Traffic Passenger Enplanements Up 44% YOY in December 2022 and Up 97% for Calendar Year 2022
  • Air Passenger Travel Between the United States and Europe up 248% in 2022

Data recently released by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) show that in 2022:

U.S.-International air traffic passenger enplanements (APIS/I-92 arrivals + departures) totaled:

  • 18.737 million in December 2022, up 44% compared to December 2021, with enplanements reaching 89% of pre-pandemic December 2019 volume.
  • 196.682 million in calendar year 2022, up 97% compared to 2021, with enplanements reaching 77% of pre-pandemic 2019 volume.

Originating Non-Stop Air Travel in December 2022 and Calendar Year 2022

  • Non-U.S. Citizen Air Passenger Arrivals to the United States from foreign countries totaled:
    • 4.370 million in December 2022, up 48% compared to December 2021 and 78% compared to pre-pandemic December 2019 volume.
    • 42.821 million in calendar year 2022, up 108% compared to 2021 and 66% compared to pre-pandemic 2019 volume.

On a related note, overseas visitor arrivals (with stays of 1-night or more in the United States and visiting under certain visa types) (ADIS/ I-94) totaled 2.482 million in December 2022, the fourteenth consecutive month overseas visitor arrivals exceeded 1.0 million. December overseas visitor arrivals reached 71.15% of pre-pandemic December 2019 volume, up from 66.85% in November 2022. For the year 2022, there were a total of 23.953 million overseas visitors, a 161% increase from 2021 and representing 59% of pre-COVID overseas visitor volume in 2019, up from 23% in 2021. (See December I-94 Advance Release)

  • U.S. Citizen Air Passenger Departures from the United States to foreign countries totaled:
    • 5.446 million in December 2022, up 43% compared to December 2021 and exceeding December 2019 volume by 3.6%.
    • 54.566 million in calendar year 2022, up 88% compared to calendar year 2021 and 90% of pre-pandemic 2019 volume.

World Region Highlights (APIS/I-92 arrivals + departures)

  • Total air passenger travel (arrivals and departures) between the United States and other countries were led in December 2022 and calendar year 2022, respectively, by:
    • Mexico 3.20 million (December 2022) and 36.224 million (calendar year 2022)
    • Canada 2.21 million and 22.028 million
    • United Kingdom 1.43 million and 15.545 million
    • Dominican Republic 795,000 and 9.141 million
    • Germany 789,000 and 8.850 million
  • International regional air travel to/from the United States in calendar year 2022:
    • Europe continued to strengthen throughout 2022, totaling 57.526 million passengers, up 248% from 2021, and down only (-24.2%) compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
    • South/Central America/Caribbean totaled 51.872 million in 2022, up 45% over 2021, and was down only (-9%) compared to 2019.
    • Asia totaled 12.369 million passengers in 2022, up 206% over 2021, but still down (-68%) compared to 2019.
  • Top U.S. ports serving international locations in calendar year 2022 were: New York (JFK) 27.528 million, Miami (MIA) 21.128 million, Los Angeles (LAX) 16.718 million, Newark (EWR) 12.588 million and Chicago (ORD) 11.482 million.
  • Top foreign ports serving U.S. locations in 2022 were London Heathrow (LHR) 13.523 million, Cancun (CUN) 12.281 million, Toronto (YYZ) 9.332 million, Mexico City 7.490 million, and Paris (CDG) 6.763 million.

Interested in an interactive data visualization of these statistics? Please visit our APIS/I-92 International Air Passenger Monitor for a more comprehensive and customizable experience.

I-92/APIS International Air Passengers

The APIS/I-92 Program provides information on non-stop international air traffic between the United States and other countries. The data has been collected from the Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection’s Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) since July 2010. The APIS based “I-92” system provides air traffic data on the following parameters: number of passengers, by country, airport, scheduled or chartered, U.S. Flag, foreign flag, citizens and non-citizens. Visit the APIS/I-92 Data Program home page for more information on airline travel to and from the United States.

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