Air travel bookings are pointing to strong demand this summer, with Asia Pacific leading a regional rebound after coronavirus restrictions disappeared and airlines overcame the travel chaos that dogged last year’s peak season, the International Air Transport Association said.
Forward bookings for the May-September period are 35% higher than in the same period in 2022, the airline-industry group said in a statement. Asia Pacific experienced the largest jump with a 135% increase, followed by a 43% advance for the Middle East and a 40% improvement in Europe.
“For many this will be their first post-pandemic travel experience,” Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for operations, safety and security, said in the release. “While some disruptions can be expected, there is a clear expectation that the ramping-up issues faced at some key hub airports in 2022 will have been resolved.”