The Airports Council International (ACI) World has released its latest Advisory Bulletin on the impact of Covid-19 on the global aviation industry.
The report shows that international air passenger numbers in 2022 reached 60% of 2019 levels, while global passenger traffic had recovered to 72% of pre-pandemic levels in 2021. Domestic travel rebounded faster, hitting 79% of 2019 levels, while international travel remained 40% down compared to the pre-pandemic period.
The Asia Pacific region accounted for a significant shortfall, with passenger volumes only reaching 52% of those seen in 2019, whereas Latin America saw a recovery to 91% of pre-pandemic traffic. ACI World is predicting global passenger traffic to hit 92% of 2019 levels in 2023, with full recovery in 2024, driven by domestic travel. The forecast for 2041 is 19.3 billion worldwide traffic compared to an expected 8.4 billion in 2023. The US, China and India are expected to lead the way, accounting for over 40% of global travellers.
ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira noted that there has been an “upsurge in demand” for air travel as travel restrictions and quarantine requirements are eased, with 86% of respondents in their Global Traveller Survey planning to travel by air in 2023, the highest intention to travel score since the beginning of the pandemic. However, de Oliveira also acknowledged that the speed of the industry’s recovery depends on several factors, including the possible slowing of GDP growth in major economies and rising airfares due to higher jet fuel prices. The reopening of China, the second-largest aviation market after the US, is expected to have a significant positive impact on global passenger traffic.
