Travel momentum builds up with 11 percentage point ruse between Jan and Feb

KUALA LUMPUR: Data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) are showing a growing momentum in air travel as restrictions are lifted, with a sharp 11 percentage point increase for international tickets sold in recent weeks in proportion to 2019 sales.

Nonetheless, “while recent progress is impressive, the world remains far from 2019 levels of connectivity,” said IATA director general Willie Walsh.

According to the data, on a seven-day moving average, the number of tickets sold stood at 49 per cent in the period around February 8 over the same period in 2019, and in the January 25, it was 38 per cent over the period in 2019, with a 11-percentage point improvement between the January and February periods.

“It was the fastest such increase for any two-week period since the crisis began,” said IATA in a statement.

An IATA travel restrictions survey for the world’s top 50 air travel markets revealed the growing access available to vaccinated travellers; 28 markets were open to the vaccinated, without having to go through quarantine or pre-departure testing requirements,

“Meanwhile, 37 markets were open to vaccinated travellers under varying conditions (18 having no restrictions, others requiring testing or quarantine or both),” it said.

These numbers underscore the spate of relaxations announced around the world, including in Australia, France, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Sweden.

Walsh said 13 of the top 50 travel markets still do not provide easy access to all vaccinated travellers, including major economies like China, Japan, Russia, Indonesia, and Italy.

IATA continues to seek removal of all travel barriers, including quarantine and testing for those fully vaccinated with a World Health Organisationapproved vaccine. It is also seeking quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travellers with a negative pre-departure antigen test results. — Bernama