The Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA) announced passenger traffic numbers for March 2022, revealing a considerable increase in international air travel demand.
The positive outcomes were linked to the relaxation of travel restrictions in a number of Asian countries.
In March 2022, 3.5 million international passengers went with Asia-Pacific carriers, up from 1.2 million in the same month in 2021.
Subhas Menon, AAPA Director-General, said: “After two years of coping with the pandemic, a growing number of Asian governments have begun to treat COVID-19 as endemic. The progressive reopening of borders and easing of restrictions, including the removal of quarantines for vaccinated travelers and reduced testing requirements, have positively impacted international travel demand.”
Menon also stated that there was still some doubt about the region’s travel revival.
“Major markets such as China and Japan remain largely closed off to international visitors. More broadly, elevated fuel prices and inflation across major economies, as well as the weakening of selected Asian currencies, may also affect the pace and extent of recovery in the region’s travel markets,” Menon explained.
As a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, China is regarded one of the strictest countries in the world in terms of quarantine and travel restrictions. Millions of individuals in China have been put on lockdown as part of the country’s rigorous Zero-COVID policy.
In order to make air travel accessible to the wider public once again, close “cooperation among governments and industry partners remains crucial to the restoration of international connectivity”, Menon said.