Covid-19: Potentially 1.2 Billion Less International Air Travelers by September 2020

International air passenger totals could drop by as many as 1.2 billion travelers by September 2020 due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, according to the latest projections from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world.

According to ICAO, Europe and the Asia-Pacific will be hardest hit by the capacity and revenue impacts, followed by North America. Similarly, the most substantial reduction in passenger numbers is expected to be in Europe, especially during its peak summer travel season, followed by the Asia-Pacific.

The organization’s latest estimates also show that international capacity could drop by as much as two-thirds from what had been forecast for the first three quarters this year, leading airline revenues to drop by as much 160 to 253 billion dollars for the January to September period.

“Because air connectivity is so critical to economic and sustainable development in every world region, this information is of critical importance to the many national governments and regional organizations now planning for their Covid-19 economic recoveries,” ICAO said in an announcement.

The UN’s civil aviation agency has been providing regularly updated analyses on the economic impact of the coronavirus on air transport since early February 2020.