Asian travelers don’t seem ready to return to the skies. If there’s any hope for the region’s airlines, it’s that this summer season will encourage families and new flyers to spread their wings, both locally and across the oceans.
Data from airlines and industry groups shows strong growth and solid load factors (the ratio of available capacity that is actually used). This suggests that the extra capacity added to routes is finding a market among passengers willing to book a seat.
These numbers are misleading. What we are seeing is an industry that is shaking off the remnants of the COVID-19 pandemic, but has no sustained appetite for air travel.
