People wait for air travellers to arrive at Changi International Airport in Singapore on July 17, 2022. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)

SYDNEY - Passenger airline traffic in the Asia-Pacific region should recover to around 73 percent of 2019 levels by year-end as travel restrictions relax, up from 53 percent in August, the Asia-Pacific head of airline industry group IATA said on Tuesday.

International passenger traffic in the Asia-Pacific region was at 38 percent of 2019 levels in August, according to IATA, which estimates it will take until 2025 to reach pre-pandemic levels

"There is no mistaking I think the momentum is very strong especially with all major markets in the Asia-Pacific now open," IATA Regional Vice-President, Asia Pacific, Philip Goh told reporters on a webinar.

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Asia's aviation recovery has lagged other parts of the world, according to IATA data.

In positive news for airlines, Japan resumed visa-free travel for tourists on Tuesday, Taiwan region will end quarantine for arrivals on Thursday and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region stopped quarantine last month.

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International passenger traffic in the region was at 38 percent of 2019 levels in August, according to IATA, which estimates it will take until 2025 to reach pre-pandemic levels.