Asia-Pacific airlines saw big international rebound in 2022: AAPA

Asia-Pacific airlines enjoyed a strong international travel recovery during 2022, as travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic were largely abandoned. During 2022, Asia-Pacific airlines carried 105m international passengers, compared with 17.4m in 2021, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). International ASKs during 2022 nearly tripled from 2021, while RPKs grew fivefold. Load factors for 2022 jumped 39.9 percentage points to 72.8%. “2022 marked the start of a long-awaited recovery in international travel markets as governments across the region eased travel restrictions over the course of the year in a bid to welcome back visitors,” says AAPA DG Subhas Menon. “The release of pent-up travel demand drove a 507% annual increase in the number of passengers carried for the year. However, demand in 2022 averaged just 27% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, underscoring the significant progress still required towards full recovery.” AAPA’s traffic results reflect the performance of 40 Asia-Pacific airlines. Underscoring how much things improved during 2022, in December the region’s airlines carried 16.1m international passengers, up from 2.6m a year earlier. December’s international ASKs nearly tripled year on year, while RPKs grew nearly fivefold. International air cargo saw softening demand in 2022 following notable strength in 2020-21. <br/>