Ctrip, a major travel service provider in China, published a report indicates that, since the outbreak, China’s aviation industry has generally experienced a period of downturn and suspension, then of slow resumption, and now it’s in a period of further recovery. On May 15, the number of daily flights rose to more than 10000 for the first time since February 21, and the total amount of domestic civil aviation market recovered to about 60% of the level before the outbreak.
The report also said the recovery is the cause of the gradual stabilization of the epidemic situation and active policy guidance. Most provinces in China have gradually eased the public health emergency response level from two to three, which effectively promoted the growth of domestic traveling passengers. Many enterprises also began to allow employees to go on business trips abroad, causing the need to increase.
As a means of transportation for long-distance travel, aviation is still irreplaceable. Whether it’s business or tourism demand, face-to-face business talks and immersive tourism experience can’t be replaced by online communications or virtual experience. With the normalized management of the epidemic and the gradual recovery of aviation demand, industry insiders expect that air travel will tend to the level before the pandemic.
The data released recently by CAAC support the idea. In China, there were 25.831 million passengers traveled in May, marked a 52.6% year-on-year drop, which is 15.9% smaller than the YOY last month. The country showed a further recovery on its domestic routes, but it is worth noting that the number of canceled flights of Beijing Airport increased sharply by about 40% on June 16, doubled the number as of June, after more than a hundred new confirmed cases reported locally and the government strengthens the emergency response level again.
Local industry experts commented that the recovery of the domestic aviation market from June to July would be robust according to the recovery trend. However, to maintain this momentum of recovery, the country must control the risks of domestic and foreign imported cases strictly.