International travel might not return to normal until 2024 as airlines struggle amid coronavirus

International travel might not return to normal until 2024 according to the International Air Transport Association.  

The travel body estimated global passenger traffic won’t return to not return to pre-COVID-19 levels until for at least another three years. 

The IATA previously predicted travel would return to normal in just three years.  

‘The return of global passenger traffic to pre-COVID-19 levels is now delayed by a year, to 2024,’ the association warned.

‘As international travel remains limited, the recovery for global passenger traffic has been slower than expected.’

Recovery in short haul travel is still expected to happen faster than for long haul travel.   

For 2020, global passenger numbers are expected to decline by 55 per cent compared to 2019, worsened from the April forecast of 46 per cent.

June 2020 passenger traffic foreshadowed the slower-than-expected recovery.

Traffic fell 86.5 per cent compared to the same period last year. It was only slightly improved from a 91 per cent contraction in May. 

This was driven by rising demand in domestic markets, particularly China.