APA Issue 2, 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
GUANGZHOU BAIYUN WAS THE WORLD’S BUSIEST AIRPORT IN 2020 The global impact of COVID-19 meant that 2020’s world traffic rankings had a very different look to normal, with Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) in China replacing HartsfieldJackson Atlanta (ATL) as the busiest gateway on the planet. Guangzhou Baiyun took top spot by handling 43.7 million passengers in 2020, just under 850,000 more than ATL. Six other Chinese airports also appear in the Top 10, many for the first time. They include Chengdu Shuangliu, Shenzhen Bao’an, Chongqing Jiangbei, Kunming Changshui and Shanghai Hongqiao. ACI World’s preliminary world airport traffic rankings show that global passenger traffic at the world’s top 10 busiest airports decreased by -45.7% in 2020. Overall, passenger traffic at the world’s airports decreased by -64.6%, clearly demonstrating the negative impact of the pandemic, and the early stages of recovery in air travel has not been uniform around the world. In most cases for the world’s Top 10 busiest airports in 2020, domestic air travel is beginning a modest rebound while international air travel remains depressed because of on-going travel restrictions. For example, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in China has moved from 46th position in 2019 to the 9th in
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2020, illustrating the uneven nature of the impact of, and recovery from, the pandemic across the world. “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global passenger traffic brought aviation to a virtual standstill in 2020 and we continue to face an existential threat,” noted ACI World director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira. “The data reveals the challenge airports continue to face, and it remains absolutely imperative that the industry is supported through direct support and sensible policy decisions from governments to ensure that aviation can endure, rebuild connectivity, and fuel a global economic recovery. “The findings show that the impact remains uneven with different regions experiencing different challenges and requiring different policy decisions and support from governments to lay the foundation for recovery. “With some positive signs of recovery, especially in countries with high rates of vaccination, a sustained global recovery will only be realised with an escalation of vaccination campaigns, the continued development of digital health passes, and co-ordinated and cohesive policy support from governments.”
