A data-driven analysis of the aviation recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. (June 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sun, Xiaoqian; Wandelt, Sebastian; Zhang, Anming
• Is Part Of: Journal of air transport management. Volume 109(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Subjects: Aviation -- COVID-19 -- Recovery -- Markets; Airlines -- Management -- Periodicals; Aeronautics, Commercial -- Management -- Periodicals; 387.7068
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2023.102401
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0969-6997

Abstract

Abstract: In Summer 2022, after a lean COVID-19 spell of almost three years, many airlines reported profits and some airlines even outperformed their pre-pandemic records. In context of the perceived recovery, it is interesting to understand how different markets have gone through the pandemic challenges. In this study, we perform a spatial and temporal dissection of the recovery process the global aviation system went through since May 2020. At the heart of this study, we investigate the patterns underlying market entry decisions during the recovery phase. We identify a rather heterogeneous type of recovery as well as its underlying drivers. We believe that our work is a timely contribution to the research on COVID-19 and aviation, complementary to the existing studies in the literature. Highlights: The COVID-19 pandemic had tremendously affected aviation for nearly three years. In Summer 2022, several airlines outperformed their pre-pandemic records. We analyze the recovery of the aviation system covering more than 100, 000 markets. Load factors have reached 60%–80% in most markets, with Asia lacking behind most. The performance of full core markets was most conservative in terms of recovery.