The number of passengers served by airports in Turkey climbed over 67% from January through March, official data showed Saturday, as travel rebounds following the coronavirus pandemic-induced fallout.

Passenger air traffic had nosedived throughout the world and in Turkey during the pandemic, but it has accelerated as lockdowns and travel restrictions have been lifted worldwide.

Some 29.66 million passengers, including transit passengers, traveled through the Turkish airports in the first quarter of the year, a 67.7% year-over-year increase, according to Transport and Infrastructure Ministry data.

According to General Directorate of the State Airports Authority (DHMI) data, 17.68 million passengers were served in the first quarter of 2021.

The figure was around 33.6 million in the same period of 2022, before the outbreak of the coronavirus triggered curfews and travel curbs.

The domestic passenger traffic stood at 15.95 million, while 13.61 million constituted passengers on international flights.

The number of passengers served in March soared 55.3% year-over-year to 10.96 million, the data showed.

Airports in Turkey served 338,386 aircraft, including overflights, from January through March, according to the ministry data. Of this, 120,295 aircraft were served in March.