International air travel is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels sooner than expected, with most of Asia opening up quickly and international passenger numbers rebounding to 42 per cent of 2019 levels in the first quarter of this year.
Director-general of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) Willie Walsh said yesterday that the industry might even hit 2019 levels by next year, sooner than its previous forecast of 2024.
This is despite China's and Hong Kong's continued Covid-19 restrictions, which he said could lead to shifts in global air network growth towards South-east Asia and Singapore, allowing the Republic to quickly gain ground on Hong Kong's pre-pandemic lead.
Mr Walsh was in Singapore ahead of the Changi Aviation Summit, with lata expected to release a report later this week with revised predictions.
China's and Hong Kong's closures should not be a major concern for airlines, he said.
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