According to Airports Council International (ACI) World data, air traffic will drop 47.3 percent by the end of this year compared to 2019 levels.
The decrease is a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Domestic passenger traffic is expected to recover faster than international traffic. By the end of the year, domestic traffic is expected to be 61.4 percent of 2019 levels globally.
In addition, airports will suffer a more than $108 billion reduction in revenue by the end of the year, according to ACI World estimates, but it is expected that each quarter will show improvements compared to the previous one.
More passengers are expected to return to travel in the second half of the year as travel restrictions ease and people become vaccinated.
“Despite increasing positive signs, COVID-19 remains an existential crisis for airports, airlines and their commercial partners and aviation still needs support and reasonable policy decisions from governments if an even, sustained recovery is to be realized,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said.
Global passenger traffic numbers won’t recover to 2019 levels until the end of 2023, ACI World estimates. International travel is expected to recover slower than domestic passenger traffic.
ACI is a trade association of the world’s airports.