Asia’s air travel may take three years to recover from pandemic

Lifeline: People standing with their oxygen cylinders outside a store to get them refilled in Surabaya, East Java province. - Reuters

ASIAN air travel may take another three years to recover fully from the devastation wrought by the pandemic, lagging behind rebounds in other regions and offering a stern headwind for refiners making jet fuel.

It’ll take until 2024 for international air travel across the region to reach pre-virus levels, a year after global traffic hits that milestone, according to the International Air Transport Association. Similarly, consultancy Energy Aspects says jet fuel consumption will reach pre-pandemic volumes only in 2023-2024.