Officials from two major airlines said last week that they expect that the industry will take years to recover from COVID and one warned, “Make no mistake – we’re still in the early miles of this marathon.”
The Wall Street Journal reported these companies face two predominant challenges, which include getting would-be passengers over the fear of flying and dealing with a contracting industry. The report pointed out that United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. have lost a total of $16.8 billion in the first nine months of the year. The WSJ said most carriers believe they have enough cash to deal with an extended downturn.
Scott Kirby, the chief executive of United, told the paper that the pandemic is the “worst crisis in the history of aviation.”
“It also has presented us with opportunity,” he said.
The paper said passengers seem to be trickling back, but the amount is 60 percent lower than last year, even on an unusually high day when one million people travel.
Airlines are trying to promote the safety of flying during a pandemic and pointed to a recent study that found being stuck inside a plane is not as dangerous as the public seems to perceive. The plane’s ventilation system was effective at diluting aerosols and exposure risk is minimal, even if you are seated next to someone infected.
TREND FORECAST: Air travel will remain sluggish into the foreseeable future as more people have less money to travel, business travel decreases as virtual meetings increase, fear of flying remains a health concern, and virus testing and other demands are imposed on travelers.
There will, however, be a modest travel bounce back when a COVID vaccine is invented and politicians declare the end of the COVID War.
