ICAO: Air travel down 60 percent in 2020

10:22, 20 января 2021, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Maria ORLOVA

Passenger traffic in air travel dropped by 60 percent amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) provided such data, UN News reports.

According to the agency, the seating capacity fell by around 50 percent last year, that left just 1.8 billion passengers taking flights through 2020, compared with around 4.5 billion in 2019.

That adds up to a staggering financial loss to the industry of around $370 billion, «with airports and air navigation services providers losing a further 115 billion and 13 billion, respectively», said ICAO in a press statement.

In the most optimistic scenario, by June of 2021 passenger numbers will be expected to recover globally to 71 percent of their 2019 levels (or 53 percent for international and 84 percent for domestic flights).

A more pessimistic scenario foresees only a 49 percent recovery (26 percent for international and 66 per cent for domestic flights).