Shanghai has overtaken London, becoming the world’s most connected city in the air transport field, after the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) significantly affected international travel.
London saw a 67% drop in air transport connectivity, while Chinese cities expanded their connectivity.
Thus, in the ranking of the most connected cities in the world, the first four places are occupied by Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu in China, according to IATA.
Major air hubs, including London, New York and Tokyo, have been hit hard by reduced travel to and from their cities due to pandemic flight restrictions.
IATA says that ”the pandemic has canceled a century of progress” in the field of connectivity between cities.
International Air Transport Association estimates that 46 million jobs supported by air transport are in danger.
The number of passengers carried by airlines will decrease to 1.8 billion this year, from 4.5 billion in 2019, and will partially recover next year to 2.8 billion.
The turnover of the airlines will decrease by over 60%, in 2020, compared to 2019, up to 328 billion dollars.
