First airports outside China report year-on-year passenger gains

More than a year after the coronavirus pandemic was declared, the first airports outside China – where a large-scale domestic aviation recovery has been under way for two months now – have reported passenger traffic gains. The ‘+’ sign for passenger growth had been cancelled for a year and many must have thought they might never see it again.

The data is not mind-blowing because for the most part, the growth is coming almost exclusively out of the domestic segment, which most commentators expected to revive first.

But in instances where there has only been 2% growth in the international segment, that at least offers hope that there is a corner to be turned.