Covid crisis deepened for airlines in January
International air traffic fell 86 per cent in January compared to pre-crisis levels and domestic air traffic was down 47 per cent, according to global airline body IATA.
New Covid-19 variants have brought renewed focus to international travel, forcing governments to tighten travel restrictions, which has had a disastrous knock-on effect for the airline industry.
That is what drove the weakness and the low points in January, saidIATA chief economist Brian Pearce. “Airlines are facing a really tough start to the year.”
However, as the vaccine roll-out has continued apace across the world there is renewed hope that vaccine passports will provide airlines with some relief later this year.
IATA is already in talks with the Department of Transport over a possible Travel Pass app as part of a four-step plan for summer holidays being considered by the Department for Transport.
The app might launch as soon as this month according to reports in The Telegraph. If it were to launch, it would be the first digital vaccine certificate to be launched anywhere in the world.