CAPA Live: China’s domestic aviation recovers; but not international

Each CAPA Live, held on the second Wednesday of each month, contains a summary of the latest key developments by region.

In the Apr-2021 report:

– Following months of rapid recovery in the second half of 2020, China’s recovery experienced setbacks entering 2021.

– Chinese airlines expected to remain in the red in 1Q2021, due to the missed opportunity during the Lunar New Year, when citizens were strongly encouraged to stay put.

– Second wave of recovery under way as demand, load factor and airfares on upward trajectory.

– International market will remain largely closed off as vaccine rates and effectiveness remain below expectation.

China’s aviation market came to an abrupt halt in Feb-2020, quickly followed by aviation in every other country in the world.

But effective control of the spread of coronavirus by China and its neighbouring countries helped their domestic markets to bounce back quickly throughout the second half of 2020.

With the exception of Japan, which declared a state of emergency twice due to worsening outbreaks of coronavirus, in China, South Korea and Taiwan the domestic traffic levels came very close to, or exceeded, 2019 levels at some stage through 2020.