Covid-19 plays havoc with airport reopening plans in Asia

Things were looking up for the aviation sector in Asia in the middle of this year. As soon as the number of Covid-19 infections started to stabilise against rising vaccination rates, South Korea announced it would seek to create travel bubbles with other countries in a bid to revive tourism. Airlines and booking sites expected a surge in demand from vaccinated travellers, and duty-free shops prepared to reopen. South Korean officials said the plans could be rolled out as early as July, They were just as eager to see foreign tourist arrivals bounce back to pre-pandemic levels of nearly 3 million a month - up from just 127,090 in June. Budget carrier Jeju Air announced the resumption of flights to Saipan and Guam, both of which were popular destinations for beach vacationers. But all hope for air travel in South Korea was dashed as quickly as it was raised as Covid-19 returned with a vengeance, with a new wave involving the more infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus. The surge in infections came amid a shortage of vaccines. The same scenario was repeated elsewhere in Asia, with air hubs pushing back reopening plans as governments struggled to contain the virus just as things were getting better. Tourist arrivals tumbled to record lows everywhere and only cargo volumes helped lift some air hubs. Reopening, many realised, was not just about reviving flights, but also accepting that there is a trade-off - restoring connectivity comes with the prospect of rising case numbers, although vaccination mitigates the risk of serious infections. Story has more.<br/>