News
ACI World Asia-Pacific declares cost of air travel in the region excessive
June 13th 2023
International airfares in the Asia-Pacific have increased as much as 50% compared with pre-COVID-19 levels, an Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific study has concluded. Read More » The airport lobby group said the research, undertaken with Flare Consulting, analysed around 36,000 routes in the Asia-Pacific’s top ten markets. ACI Asia-Pacific director general, Stefano Baronci, said the cost of air tickets threatened the industry's long-term recovery. He added the high ticket prices could have far-reaching consequences by reducing demand for air travel and increasing the financial burden of an already stressed sector. “A supply-demand imbalance should not be exploited by airlines at the expense of customers by restricting capacity, especially on international routes, which are the key drivers of social and economic growth and a major source of revenue for the airport sector,” Baronci said. “As it has been largely the case in the past, airport charges are not the reason for increases in airfares in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Airport charges in 2019-2022 remained stable or decreased in nominal terms in Asia and the Middle East by 4% on international routes and increased by 3% on domestic routes.”
