News
International Air Transport Association cautions unilateral actions can’t restart flying
April 17th 2020
Airlines around the world are expected to collectively suffer a US$314 billion loss in revenue in calendar 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, new figures show. Read More »
The forecast from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) represented a 55% decline in revenues from calendar 2019 and an upward revision from the airline lobby group's previous forecast of US$252 billion.
IATA said the estimates were based on a scenario where the severe travel restrictions, implemented by governments around the world to slow the spread of the coronavirus, were gradually eased. More specifically, it was assumed severe domestic restrictions would last three months, some restrictions on international travel would extend beyond three months and a severe impact from the coronavirus would be felt all over the world.
"The impact of the COVID-19 crisis is continuously evolving and deepening as the fight against it continues," IATA director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, said during a conference call with journalists on April 14.
"We have never seen a downturn this deep before."
In recent days, some countries have raised the prospect of easing some restrictions on the movement of people and restarting their economies, given some encouraging data on the reduced rate of infections.
A cautious de Juniac said there is a risk of a second wave of infections if lockdown measures were lifted too early. Simply removing the barriers to movement would not immediately lead to a restart for aviation, IATA believed.
"Governments re-opening their economies must have confidence the disease is under control in the countries they do business with," de Juniac said. "Otherwise they are not going to make travel easy or convenient."
"Passengers – business or leisure – also will need to have their confidence restored."
The IATA boss said the key to a successful return of airlines and people to flying came down to cooperation and harmonisation.
"Successive unilateral actions by states can shut down aviation as we have seen. But unilateral actions cannot restart aviation," de Juniac said. “Governments must work with each other and also together with the industry."
