Covid-19 crushes AirAsia Group Q1 traffic figures

AirAsia Group carriers reported a significant decline in passenger traffic for the first quarter of 2021, amid an uptick in coronavirus cases in key markets that threaten hopes of a recovery. For the quarter ended 31 March, AirAsia’s Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines units carried about 977,000 passengers in total, a 90% year-on-year decrease. AirAsia Thailand carried around 978,000 passengers for the quarter, which was a 78% decline compared to the same quarter last year. The carrier saw ASKs decline 79%, while RPKs plunged 82% year on year. AirAsia’s Malaysia unit saw quarterly capacity and traffic plunge 94% year on year, as it flew only 3,700 flights — 92% lower than the same quarter in 2020. In Indonesia, AirAsia saw capacity plummet 78%, while traffic declined 82% year on year. The unit mounted 3,071 flights for the period, a 76% decline year on year. As for Philippines AirAsia, it reported a 93% drop in ASKs, while RPKs fell 94% year on year. It flew just over 1,260 flights, representing an 89% decrease. The group, which had earlier pinned its hopes on its domestic networks to lead a traffic rebound, also had to confront numerous domestic travel restrictions in several markets, including Malaysia and Thailand. <br/>