Page 4 - The Summit of the Americas 2021

INSIDER

ACI: COVID-19 creates existential crisis for airports, airlines and

their commercial partners as impact continues in 2021

The latest Advisory Bulletin on the
airport business, published at the end of
March by Airports Council International
(ACI) World, indicates that despite some
positive signs for recovery, the impact of
COVID-19 presents an “existential crisis”
on the industry that will be felt on airport
passenger traffic and revenues in 2021.
The ACI analysis forecasts that 4.7
billion fewer passengers will travel by
year end 2021 compared to the projected
baseline, representing a decline of -47.5%
of global passenger traffic. This reduction
in travelers is estimated to equate to a
loss in revenue of more than $94 billion
(figures in US Dollars) by the end of 2021,
cutting in half expectations compared to the
projections.
Different regions of the world will
recover at different rates, says ACI World.
Markets having significant domestic traffic
are expected to recover in 2023 to pre-
COVID-19 levels while markets with a
significant share of international traffic are
unlikely to return to 2019 levels until 2024
or even 2025 in some cases.
ACI World is strongly calling for an
interoperable health data trust framework “Aviation recovery will not take- COVID-19 crisis had an unprecedented
to facilitate safe border reopening and off, however, without a coordinated and impact on airport traffic
cross-border travel to support this recovery. globally-consistent approach to vaccination Last year marked the end of a decade
ACI will support any system which will and testing, coupled with safe and of consistent growth in global passenger
allow testing and vaccination data to be interoperable methods of sharing testing traffic. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
shared consistently, effectively, and in a and vaccination information.” brought airports around the world to
way that protects the personal data of those Highlights from ACI World’s Advisory a virtual halt in the second quarter of
that use it. Bulletin: The impact of COVID-19 on the 2020, resulting in airport traffic —and
ACI World Director General Luis airport business and path to recovery: revenue —losses across all regions. While
Felipe de Oliveira noted that as the world
is embarking on the biggest vaccination
campaign in history, countries with high
rates of vaccination are seeing an escalation
of encouraging prospects for recovery, Editor/Publisher: Lois R. Pasternak
“with a surge in travel in the second half of In Memoriam: Paul A. Pasternak
2021 expected.” Executive Editor: Michael Pasternak
Editorial Contributors: John Gallagher
“Despite this, COVID-19 remains an Production Coordinator & Designer: Chris Hetzer
existential crisis for airports, airlines and Design and Production: It’s About Time, Inc.
their commercial partners and we need Webmaster: Michael Pasternak
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“We hope an upsurge in confidence E-mail: parsnip5@aol.com, editor@travelmarketsinsider.net
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significantly increase by mid-year.

The Virtual Summit of the Americas Issue April 2021 4