Overall international airline capacity to and from Australia is at about 40 per cent of pre-pandemic levels,but Singapore has returned three-quarters of its seats in the hope of mopping up an outsize share of passenger traffic while other carriers hold back.
Singapore’s regional vice president Louis Arul said forward bookings showed demand from Australia was tracking up towards pre-COVID levels around the end of this year,with some key markets like London already back to normal levels.
“The border opening... generated a lot of demand for travel,largely people reconnecting with family,but that has given way to more tourist travel and now we see business travel,” he said.
Online travel agent Webjet revealed on Thursday the two-speed nature of the travel recovery,with domestic bookings back to 86 per cent of pre-COVID levels in March while international bookings languished at just 34 per cent.
The ASX-listed group’s managing director John Guscic said searches for international travel had grown in the past six weeks but demand was still dented by a lack of available seats.
“We are still a long,long,long way behind pre-pandemic supply - nowhere near 50 per cent,” he said.