Rating agency ICRA on January 19 cut its estimates for recovery in the domestic aviation market to 52 percent of pre-pandemic levels from 62 percent earlier due to the outbreak of the third wave of COVID-19 in the country.
The outbreak of a new wave of COVID-19 due to the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will result in a 40-42 percent fall in domestic passenger traffic in January, ICRA said in its report.
The fall in domestic air passenger traffic coupled with the imposition of localised restrictions in key states and the consequent slowdown in leisure travel has led to the rating agency reducing its outlook for recovery in the country's aviation market.
"Overall, passenger traffic is expected to be lower by 40-45 per cent in Q4 FY2022 and the traffic recovery for FY2022 is moderated to 52 per cent of pre-Covid level as against our earlier estimates of 62 per cent of pre-Covid level," Rajeshwar Burla, Group Head of Corporate Ratings at ICRA said in a press release.
However, the rating agency said that it does expect a strong rebound in domestic air passenger traffic after the third wave of COVID-19 much faster when compared to the second wave of pandemic once the situation normalises.
“The pace of passenger traffic recovery is expected to be sharp and much faster when compared to the second wave of pandemic," Burla said.
ICRA also said that it expects that once restrictions are lifted, the recovery of international passenger traffic is expected to happen in a gradual manner and is expected to reach pre-Covid levels only by 2023-24.
Furthermore, ICRA said that the strong balance-sheet liquidity of airport operators is expected to support their credit profile in the near term.
However, the outlook on the airport infrastructure continues to remain Negative.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!