China’s commercial aviation sector has made a remarkable recovery in the face of unprecedented travel restrictions.
Yesterday, World of Aviation reported that the country’s air cargo capacity had returned to pre-outbreak levels, largely on the back of demand for Chinese-produced medical supplies and equipment.
However, the latest data also indicates an uptick in domestic passenger flights, as well as the reopening of key Chinese airports in the central Hubei province.
According to IATA figures, passenger yields on internal routes booked in the first two weeks of March are actually up slightly year-on-year.
However, accounting for international flights – many of which are grounded – traffic for this period is down 25 per cent overall. At its lowest, total Chinese passenger numbers had dropped by roughly 70 per cent.
“We are seeing some signs of a turning point in the Chinese domestic market,” said IATA chief economist Brian Pearce during a briefing today.
“The March numbers are showing an improvement. We’re certainly getting those reports from the market.”
“For the industry as a whole that is absolutely what is not happening,” Pearce added. “The spread of COVID-19 cases outside of the Asia-Pacific region is very dramatically hitting bookings, as well as the closure of borders that we are seeing.”
Though Wuhan Tianhe International Airport remains closed, all other airports in Hubei province have reopened for domestic flights. According to CH-Aviation, the airport is scheduled to reopen on 8 April.
As well as airport reopening, rail services in Hubei province have resumed after the ban on travel out of the region was lifted on 28 March. Train services to all districts, including Wuhan, have now resumed, and commercial activity in the province is expected to fully resume this week.
