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black and white bird flying over the building during daytimeThe North American region is leading post-Covid-19 air traffic recoveries. A recent MoneyTransfers.com analysis shows the area has a planned seat capacity of 21.2 million in 2022. That’s 2.1M short of March 2019 levels of 24.3M. MoneyTransfers.com’s assessment also reckons that the region is 14.8% below pre-pandemic passenger numbers.
How are other regions faring?
Other regions aren’t doing as well as North America. For instance, in Southeast Asia, the current seat capacity is a far cry from the pre-Covid figures. Today the region reports a planned seat capacity of 5.4M. The area served 9.9M passengers weekly before March 11, 2019.
Data from the Official Airline Guide suggests that the region is operating at about 85% lower than its standard capacity. They point to several factors contributing to the region lagging as it is doing. First, the area is still reeling from a resurgence of Covid-19 infections in mid-2021.
Covid-19 took a toll on global aviation
The coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a grinding halt. No industry took a harder hit than air travel, as governments worldwide instituted containment measures that restricted movements and banned international travel. Consequently, passenger numbers dropped significantly, forcing airlines to ground operations.
“Two years down the line, things are looking up, and global aviation is slowly picking up,” says MoneyTransfers CEO Jonathan Merry. He adds, ” The gradual reopening of economies worldwide has seen people return to work. And it allows for some movement, albeit at reduced levels. But it’s still a far cry from what it was before the pandemic struck.”
Edited by: Matthew Thomas