Taiwan’s international flight operations are set to reach pre-COVID-19 levels in around mid-2024, a senior Boeing executive has forecast.
David Schulte, Boeing Commercial Marketing managing regional director for the Asia Pacific, said on Friday in Taipei that relaxed border restrictions in Taiwan have increased flight operations to 75 percent of pre-pandemic levels, with intra-Asia travel leading the recovery.
“Recovery in Northeast Asia was slowed by travel policies, health initiatives and workforce availability, but we expect the region’s passenger traffic to recover to pre-pandemic levels over the next few years,” he said.
In Boeing’s commercial market outlook for Northeast Asia, Schulte said he expects the outbound travel market from Taiwan to destinations in Asia in 2023 to be 3.4 times higher than in 2022.
Likewise, outbound travel from Taiwan to North America and Europe will likely grow by 2.4 times and 2.5 times, respectively, he said.
Region-wise, Schulte predicted that the Asia Pacific will need 6,250 new airplanes by 2041, with Northeast Asia requiring 1,345 of those to meet demand.
Taiwan’s EVA Airways placed an order for 24 Boeing 787 jets in 2015, while China Airlines announced last year that is had ordered 16 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which are set to be delivered from 2025.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel