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Turkish Airlines posted an improved profit for the first three months of 2022, driven by continued strong cargo performance and increased demand as Covid-19 travel restrictions eased. The Star Alliance carrier earned a first-quarter pre-tax profit of $120 million, improving on the $30m it made for the same period in 2021, the airline said on 28 April. Net profit climbed $100m, to $161m, for the three months ended 31 March. The profit reflects a sharp jump in Q1 revenue, which came in at $3b, up from $1.8b in the same period of 2021. The higher revenue came from greater activity in the passenger business – particularly in comparison with the first quarter of 2021, when travel was heavily impacted by border closures – with first-quarter passenger revenue more than doubling over the same period a year earlier, to just under $2b. Turkish Airlines’ total passenger capacity in the first quarter hit 91% of pre-crisis levels, with capacity on international routes at 93% of previous levels. It carried 69% as many passengers as in Q1 of 2019.<br/>

Japanese airline ANA Holdings forecast a return to annual profit as a rebound in domestic demand and easing international travel curbs aid in its recovery from two years of pandemic-driven losses. The carrier on Thursday posted an operating loss of 173.1b yen ($1.3b), but expects to swing to a 50b yen profit in the year that began April 1. Japan's largest airline said a sustained focus on reducing operating expenses along with increased domestic travel, strong cargo sales and favorable conditions for growth of international traffic point all point to a better year. Japan in late March lifted all domestic pandemic restrictions. That has cleared the way for a forecast recovery in domestic flight demand to 80% of pre-pandemic levels on average this financial year, ANA Chief Executive Koji Shibata told reporters. The number of passengers who booked flights for next week's string of public holidays known as "Golden Week" is expected to roughly double from a year ago, he added. Annual revenue surged 40% to 1.02t yen, driven in part by a record cargo performance and is forecast to jump another 63% this financial year. In the international market, ANA and rival Japan Airlines face uncertainties from Japan's prolonged border restrictions and rising fuel costs worsened by the war in Ukraine.<br/>

Japan is gearing up for its busiest holiday season since the COVID-19 pandemic began as the government eases antivirus measures, though experts say an uptick in infections is likely to keep consumer spending below pre-pandemic levels. Bookings for hotels, airlines and bullet train operators during Golden Week, which starts on April 29 and runs through early May, have rebounded strongly from the same period last year. Some 16 million people are expected to travel domestically, a 68% increase from last year, according to travel agency JTB. Spending during the period is expected to rise 80% to 552 billion yen ($4.3 billion). Reservations for flights are also sharply up on the year, a second straight year of increases, though numbers are still far below 2019 levels. Japan Airlines on Friday said domestic flight bookings had doubled from last year to 801,340, while international bookings increased 4.2 times to 69,170. Rival ANA Holdings announced domestic flight bookings had risen 1.4 times from 2021 to 783,788, while international bookings jumped 5.6 times to 64,896.<br/>