政府新闻
国际航空公司加速恢复至中国航线 2023-09-26
The global aviation market has not fully recovered because of a lack of airport support capacity and aircraft supply chain issues, while several foreign carriers are moving to reopen links with China as quickly as possible, according to industry insiders.
Insufficient support capacity at some airports around the world is hindering the accelerated recovery of international aviation, insiders told Yicai at the North Bund International Aviation Forum held in Shanghai on Sept. 22.
Due to the suspension of many international flights during the Covid-19 pandemic, airlines and airports in many countries laid off staff, the people noted. Hiring is on the rise, but many experienced workers have moved on to other things and new recruits need time to be trained, they added.
Shanghai Airport Group has been making every effort to resume international passenger flights, but the overseas flight volume of the city’s two airports had recovered to only 65 percent of the 2019 level as of August, said Chairman Qin Yun, adding that it was 26 percent at the start of the year.
The pickup in domestic flights has far exceeded that of international routes. In June, the number of domestic flights and passengers at Shanghai Pudong Airport and Hongqiao Airport exceeded the pre-pandemic level, Qin noted.
Bilal Ekşi, chief executive of Turkish Airlines, told Yicai that according to figures provided by aviation data provider OAG, global international flight capacity in the second quarter was 12 percent less than the level of 2019. Türkiye’s flag carrier is one of the few airlines to exceed its international capacity in the first eight months of this year from 2019, with the number of passengers and capacity up 22 percent and 26 percent, respectively.
Global airlines are suffering from supply chain issues in accessing aircraft parts, resulting in delays in the scheduled maintenance of existing planes and the delivery of new ones, further hampering the return of capacity, said Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association. Supply chain problems come from many suppliers being either out of business or downsized, a situation that will likely continue until 2025, he noted.
But Wash also pointed out the strong rebound in international travel demand. In July, global passenger demand recovered to 96 percent of the level of 2019, with the figure in the Asia Pacific region reaching 74 percent, he said, adding that passenger traffic in the region is expected to return to the pre-pandemic level next year.
Etihad Aviation Group, the parent firm of Etihad Airways, is confident in China and believes there will be a very strong recovery next year, and hopes that in 18 months the carrier can triple its capacity in China, CEO Antonoaldo Neves told Yicai. If demand is strong, the firm will arrange more flights to China, having already resumed its Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou routes while also seeking to strengthen its cooperation with China Eastern Airlines, he added.
Saudi national airline Riyadh Air plans to start flying again in 2025 and connect to airports in China in 2026, prioritizing flights to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, CEO Tony Douglas said to Yicai.
The CEOs of many foreign carriers and personnel from the International Civil Aviation Organization made their first visits to China since the start of the pandemic to attend the North Bund International Aviation Forum.
Source: Yicai Global
