Airline body IATA warns strength of recovery would be weakened if China stays shut next year

The strength of the overall recovery in global airline passenger demand will be impacted if China continues to enforce tight border restrictions next year, the head of airline body IATA said on Wednesday. IATA DG Willie Walsh told a conference in Doha that China’s zero-COVID policy had “devastated” Hong Kong, and caused it to lose its position as a global aviation hub. Hong Kong, traditionally a major hub where passengers transit between international flights and on journeys to China, is the base of airline Cathay Pacific.<br/>