Full recovery of air travel in Asia-Pacific including the Philippines to the 2019 pre-pandemic level is expected by the end of 2023 or early 2024, according to the latest report by the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).
Asia Pacific regional airports will handle about 1.84 billion passengers this year, 45 percent lower compared to the pre-pandemic level of 3.38 billion passengers or approximately 37 percent of global air travellers.
“Full regional recovery to 2019 levels is not anticipated until the end of 2023 or early 2024, and even then recovery is dependent on countries opening their borders and ending lingering travel restrictions, as well as the wider economic and epidemiological situations,” CAPA said.
A few of the Asia Pacific’s other large international travel markets, notably India, are approaching full recovery but most remain at 50 percent or more below 2019 levels.
Meanwhile, CAPA data showed the Philippines ranked 10th among Asia Pacific countries in terms of international seats from week of August 29, 2022, having carried 400,629 passengers, up by 252 percent compared to 2021 but still down by 477 percent from the 2019 pre-pandemic level.
CAPA said domestic travel has improved this year.
“As COVID-19 transmissions have eased through the year, government restrictions on domestic travel have also been lifted, meaning that domestic travel has improved through the year,” CAPA said.
For domestic travel, the Philippines ranked seventh out of top 10 countries in Asia Pacific with 674,151 passengers, up by 265 percent compared to 2021 but down by 1.2 percent in 2019 based on CAPA data.
The Philippines is ahead of Thailand, South Korea and Malaysia that carried 652,656, 582,082 and 536,948 passengers during the period, respectively.
“Most major markets are now at more than 90 percent of pre-COVID-19 capacity levels, although a few remain more volatile than others. There also needs to be continuing progress with vaccinations, work on harmonisation of international travel rules and above all, a reaffirmation of political commitments towards openness and freedom of movement,” CAPA said.
To date, local carriers Philippines Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Philippines AirAsia have been aggressive in expanding their domestic and international flights.
