THOUGHTS OF AN AVIATION MAN

When Meg Ryan told Kevin Kline , in the movie French Kiss that she was afraid of flying , probably she never thought that a generation of flyers would join her, albeit for a different reason altogether in COVID times .

The air travel demand recovery that airlines, airports and tourism organizations were hoping to see emerge this year, albeit slowly, is so far proving elusive. The outlook for summer 2021 may be looking brighter than was the case in summer 2020, but questions remain over how long COVID-19 safety precautions will linger for airline passengers . Tightening restrictions are getting in the way of airlines’ expectations of a summer recovery. The latest UK travel light system is going to add unwanted cost and complexity for airlines, airports and passengers, but will they prevent new coronavirus variants from entering the country? If leading health officials in Australia are to be believed, then national border restrictions on international travel are likely to remain in place for the duration of 2021. For those in the air transport industry hoping that 2021 would see the turning point from devastating cash burn to the beginnings of recovery—and that’s just about everyone in the industry—the first quarter has quickly dashed those hopes. The novel coronavirus pandemic would surely have led to many more airline bankruptcies had it not been for the massive financial support by governments .

Digital health credentials—which includes COVID-19 testing and vaccination records—have been embraced by the airline industry as key to restarting the engine of the airline industry. In the pandemic era, airport lounges are seeing a shift in purpose. While still a place of luxury, lounges must now serve as a safe space for travellers. Airlines and airports are answering the call by industry leaders for the development and deployment of rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, scalable and systematic COVID-19 testing for all passengers before departure as an alternative to quarantine measures in order to re-establish global air connectivity. Cabin and technology specialists believe the latest anti-viral solutions could reassure passengers as they gradually return to the skies following the coronavirus crisis. Touchless technology and a push to digitization have risen to the top of airport agendas in a rush to protect the health and restore confidence of passengers in the pandemic era. Boosting passenger confidence and creating a sense of well-being aboard aircraft are priorities of cabin interior specialists in the slow recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. Manufacturers are exploring UV and thermal disinfection as well as antimicrobial coatings to improve cabin hygiene.

The eventual recovery in international air travel is at risk of being slowed if vaccination rates are allowed to lag behind in some countries, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).Most corporate travellers feedback that they are willing to travel for business after being vaccinated against COVID-19 as per surveys. The arrival of highly efficient vaccines has given the commercial aviation industry hope that probably , later this year , they will begin to emerge from its worst crisis. The vaccines have given us back the power of “someday soon.”, but there are many questions around what the recovery and a changed and smaller industry will look like.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a tale of two air transport industries: a passenger business that has nearly collapsed—with years expected before a full recovery occurs—and a cargo business that has demonstrated exceptional resiliency and is expected to post double-digit year-over-year percentage traffic growth in 2021. Now is the time for the aviation industry to think ahead.