According to global travel and data analytics organisation, Cirium, Asia's aviation industry has begun to recover, notably in high-demand markets like China.
China Airlines Airbus A330 registered B-18310. Photo by Duy Khang Tran | AeroNewsX
The Head of Consultancy for Asia at Ascend by Cirium, Joanna Lu, said: “The air travel market in Mainland China is estimated to be down by 58% compared to the first four months of last year. However, while the international market has been hit hard since February, there aresigns of recovery in the domestic market.”
Cirium noted a stark increase in the number of seats offered on flights from China to Hong Kong and also recognised a gradual rise on services from China to Singapore. Singapore had in fact been one of the markets hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis in the Asia-Pacific region, seeing a 48.4% drop in traffic compared to the same period last year.
“We still expect to see several thousand aircraft remaining parked at the end of year. But the number will reduce as we see the recovery in Asia-Pacific, and also in North America and Europe, take shape," explained Ascend by Cirium’s Global Head of Consultancy, Rob Morris.
The data and analytics organisation also mentioned that with the recovery of markets like China, aircraft manufacturers will subsequently benefit.
Morris explained: "Almost one-third of deliveries expected through 2023 are scheduled for the region. More than 1,360 deliveries are scheduled for Asia-Pacific operators, representing 31% of the total, compared to Europe at 29%, and North America at 22%."
Over the past couple of months, airlines have begun to resume services. Brussels Airport, for example, is set to see a number of airlines return over the course of the next month as travel demand slowly picks up. As mentioned, China's aviation industry is also slowly picking up.
As the Asia-Pacific region begins to recover, could we see a similar trend in Europe? In fact, its recovery is already underway, with Palma de Mallorca yesterday recording a 180.4% week-on-week increase in number of flights counted, according to data from Eurocontrol.
Ryanair was yesterday leading the recovery, with a 110.6% week-on-week increase in movements. Helicopter operator, Bristow Norway followed shortly after, before Eurowings with a 47.9% week-on-week rise.
However, across the Eurocontrol network, a clear decrease in flights was evident in comparison to 2019 numbers. As it stands, there is still nearly 74% less flights within the Eurocontrol network now in comparison to 2019. Despite that, it's only a matter of time before Europe and the rest of the world follow Asia in beginning their recovery.
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