Sydney/Chicago : Airlines prepare for a new round of instability omicron type of COVID-19 Analysts say this could force them to adjust schedules and destinations in a shorter period of time and rely more on domestic markets.
Many travelers have already booked trips for the Christmas period, which is a peak season for airlines, but industry concerns about future booking pauses and already slow business travel delays have raised concerns. have been
Fitch Ratings said it has lowered its global passenger traffic forecasts for 2021 and 2022, with the emergence of new variants such as Omicron, highlighting the possibility that conditions will remain volatile for airlines.
“It feels like we’re back a year and it’s not a huge prospect for the industry and beyond,” Deidre Fulton, partner at consultancy Midas Aviation, said in an industry webinar on Wednesday.
Due to the diverse nature of global airlines as well as their business models, Omicron’s influence will vary by country and region.
Gulf hub carriers acted swiftly to protect their hubs by curbing passenger travel from southern Africa, fearing that the spread of the new variant would immediately trigger restrictions beyond the affected areas.
Airlines in countries with large, strong domestic markets such as the United States, China and Russia are better protected from the more volatile nature of international travel.
An analysis by UBS shows that US carriers have yet to change their rated capacity, running at 87% of 2019 levels in December and expected to reach 92% of pre-Covid capacity in January Is.
United Airlines South Africa is launching its Newark-Cape Town route on Wednesday despite a US ban on entry of non-citizens and Delta Air Lines said bookings were strong over the Christmas period.
“Over the past year, each new edition has brought down bookings, but then increased after the growth ended. We expect the same pattern to emerge,” said. Helen Baker, an analyst at Cowen & Company.
Travel booking website Kayak said on Sunday there was only a 5% drop in international travel searches from the United States – in contrast to a 26% drop in searches from Britain, which had tightened testing requirements for arrivals.
Major European airlines rely far more heavily on international travel than their US counterparts, putting them at greater risk of falling from the Omicron variant.
easyjet chief executive johan lundgren The U.S. said on Tuesday that there had been an impact on short-term departures, although not at the same level previously seen when restrictions were imposed.
In Asia, countries such as Australia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand began cautiously lifting border restrictions in recent weeks, and passenger numbers remained at fractions of pre-pandemic levels before the Omicron variant was discovered.
John Grant, chief analyst at travel data firm OAG, said the moves by Japan and Australia to delay the entry of some foreigners due to Omicron were “sad and disappointing”, but the proportionate impact on travel was “relatively insignificant”.
Airlines globally have been more picky about quickly adjusting their schedules and destinations during the pandemic and this is expected to continue, he said.
Many travelers have already booked trips for the Christmas period, which is a peak season for airlines, but industry concerns about future booking pauses and already slow business travel delays have raised concerns. have been
Fitch Ratings said it has lowered its global passenger traffic forecasts for 2021 and 2022, with the emergence of new variants such as Omicron, highlighting the possibility that conditions will remain volatile for airlines.
“It feels like we’re back a year and it’s not a huge prospect for the industry and beyond,” Deidre Fulton, partner at consultancy Midas Aviation, said in an industry webinar on Wednesday.
Due to the diverse nature of global airlines as well as their business models, Omicron’s influence will vary by country and region.
Gulf hub carriers acted swiftly to protect their hubs by curbing passenger travel from southern Africa, fearing that the spread of the new variant would immediately trigger restrictions beyond the affected areas.
Airlines in countries with large, strong domestic markets such as the United States, China and Russia are better protected from the more volatile nature of international travel.
An analysis by UBS shows that US carriers have yet to change their rated capacity, running at 87% of 2019 levels in December and expected to reach 92% of pre-Covid capacity in January Is.
United Airlines South Africa is launching its Newark-Cape Town route on Wednesday despite a US ban on entry of non-citizens and Delta Air Lines said bookings were strong over the Christmas period.
“Over the past year, each new edition has brought down bookings, but then increased after the growth ended. We expect the same pattern to emerge,” said. Helen Baker, an analyst at Cowen & Company.
Travel booking website Kayak said on Sunday there was only a 5% drop in international travel searches from the United States – in contrast to a 26% drop in searches from Britain, which had tightened testing requirements for arrivals.
Major European airlines rely far more heavily on international travel than their US counterparts, putting them at greater risk of falling from the Omicron variant.
easyjet chief executive johan lundgren The U.S. said on Tuesday that there had been an impact on short-term departures, although not at the same level previously seen when restrictions were imposed.
In Asia, countries such as Australia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand began cautiously lifting border restrictions in recent weeks, and passenger numbers remained at fractions of pre-pandemic levels before the Omicron variant was discovered.
John Grant, chief analyst at travel data firm OAG, said the moves by Japan and Australia to delay the entry of some foreigners due to Omicron were “sad and disappointing”, but the proportionate impact on travel was “relatively insignificant”.
Airlines globally have been more picky about quickly adjusting their schedules and destinations during the pandemic and this is expected to continue, he said.
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