Extended restrictions to cost Asia-Pacific airports $34 billion of revenue in 2021

The Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific has warned that airports in the region could face a $34b revenue decline, if travel restrictions remain and border reopenings fail to gather pace. Against pre-pandemic forecasts, airports in the region are also expected to see a 56% plunge in passenger numbers, to around 1.6b passengers. “Asia-Pacific, already adversely affected by constant lockdowns, stringent travel and quarantine restrictions, is forecasted to close out the year with around 56% passenger losses, despite resumption of some domestic travel in a few markets,” says the ACI in a 2 November statement. The industry notes that airports experienced a “slower-than-expected” recovery in the first quarter of the year. While domestic traffic recovery gathered pace in the first half of 2021, it plunged again in the third quarter amid a resurgence in infections in several markets. To this end, the industry body is urging governments to “reopen borders and relax quarantine requirements especially in countries which have reached satisfactory vaccination rates, to prevent repeat of a dismal year” for airports.<br/>