The air transport industry, which was considered destroyed or at least frozen for many years, is beginning to recover. This is especially true in the United States. At the Easter weekend, American airports reported a record number of passengers.
About 1,500,000 passengers a day arrived at US airports during the long spring weekend. In 2020, the worst for the airline industry, no airline expert would dare to bet on the following result: 1,500,000 a day is twice as much as in 2020, and at the same time still far from returning to normal. in 2019 when there were 40% more travelers. But still it’s a real takeoff.
Large airlines are resuming their work. Delta recalled its 1,700 pilots because it had to cancel about 100 flights last weekend due to a lack of pilots. United plans to recruit 300 new pilots, all convinced that a new phase of growth is ahead.
Companies have not yet returned to positive numbers
According to experts, returning for domestic transportation, returning to normal – is a matter of months. On the other hand, the travel and international air transport business sector is still in a difficult situation. Their revival is likely to take place no earlier than 2023. However, these are the two most profitable sectors for large airlines. Before the pandemic, business tourism brought half the profits of American carriers and accounted for about a third of their turnover. Therefore, companies will have to adapt their proposals. Some carriers have begun to review their business model to best serve this price-sensitive segment.
Vaccination accelerated recovery
Covid-19 is no longer a barrier for 20% of vaccinated Americans, and that makes them worry. They can’t wait to see their families, but caution remains. On flights masks are still required. Finally, health authorities are holding back this dynamic and believe that a new wave of coronavirus is still possible and therefore optional travel is contraindicated. These instructions will definitely slow down your recovery. In Britain, for example, the government does not encourage summer vacations abroad.
The triumph of home transportation inspires newcomers
In Europe, as well as in Asia and America, new companies are launching low-cost flights in the wake of the revival of the air transport industry. In Norway, Flyr plans to open six destinations in June. In Italy, EGO Airways is planning eleven new routes. In the United States, Breeze Airways specializes in underserved airports. The Indian company Flypop wants to connect the UK directly with the Punjab and Gujarat for the diaspora. Given that more than 6,000 aircraft around the world are still parked, rental prices have fallen by half compared to 2019. And recruiting has never been so easy. Thus, airline newcomers are challenging companies that are economically depleted by the crisis and are likely to have to undergo major restructuring at some point to reduce their debt and survive without government support.
International air traffic is not very optimistic
According to the International Air Transport Association, global passenger traffic in February fell by 88.7% compared to the same month in 2019, which means a new decline after the January decline of 85.7% year on year, the worst result since July 2020. Moreover, the total demand for air transportation in February 2021 fell by 74.7% compared to the same month in 2019. Thus, February showed no signs of resumption of demand for international flights due to strict restrictions on new versions of the Covid-19.
By regions, the largest reduction was registered by the airlines of the Asia-Pacific region, 95.2% less than in February 2019. In Europe, passenger traffic fell by 89% in February. As for the Middle East, the decline in passenger traffic was 83.1%.
On the other hand, demand for passenger traffic in North America fell by 83.1%. Traffic in Latin America fell 83.5% in February. In Africa, the decline was the smallest – 68%.