The briefing on airports

The news, views and numbers you need to know this month

News in numbers

229

The number of Chinese airports reportedly capable of providing passengers with ‘paperless travel’ or e-boarding services at the end of 2019, Xinhua reported, citing Chinese civil aviation authorities

$550bn

The airline industry’s global debt could rise to $550bn by the end of the year – a $120bn increase over debt levels at the start of 2020, according to IATA

27.7%

Data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed that global air freight demand dropped by 27.7% compared to the same period in 2019

353,261

Number of passengers who passed through US Transportation Security Administration checkpoints on 1 June – the highest number since 22 March

4.6 billion

ACI World estimates that airports will suffer a reduction of more than 4.6 billion passengers

$97bn

In 2020, airports will suffer an overall reduction in revenue of more than $97bn, according to ACI World

In quotes

Globaldata aerospace and defence analyst Nicolas Jouan, following the International Civil Aviation Organization Council’s (ICAO) adoption of new COVID-19 aviation recovery ‘Take Off’ guidelines at the start of June 2020:

Harmonisation of safety standards is arguably the most important issue for the ICAO to resolve in order to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The confined and cross-border nature of air travel immediately exposed the industry to lockdown measures. It is now necessary for airlines and airports to adapt to new standards of hygiene and social distancing as mentioned throughout the CART’s report.

Airport Operators Association (AOA) chief executive Karen Dee, following the UK Government’s announcement of its Job Retention Scheme:

Aviation needs further government support to get us through this prolonged period of near-zero passengers and revenue. The Chancellor should announce an extension of business rate relief to airports, provide relief from Civil Aviation Authority charges and provide sector-wide liquidity support to reflect that existing scheme will now not be suitable following the quarantine announcement.