Asia-Pacific airlines worst hit by virus: Iata

NEW DELHI : Airlines in Asia-Pacific countries, including India, will post losses of $29 billion in 2020, making it the worst region for aviation, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, International Air Transport Association (Iata) has said.

Carriers in Asia-Pacific will see passenger demand (measured in revenue passenger kilometres, or RPK) collapse 53.8% from the previous year, while capacity (in available seat kilometres, or ASK) will reduce by 39.2%, the aviation industry group said in a statement.

“2020 is the worst year in aviation history and airlines are in survival mode. The carriers in Asia-Pacific will experience the largest losses at $29 billion. That’s a loss of $30.09 per passenger,” Conrad Clifford, Iata’s regional vice president for Asia Pacific said in the statement.