Covid-19 became a pandemic because airplane passengers carried the new coronavirus with them around the world. As that became clear, airlines grounded nearly all of their fleets, governments issued travel restrictions and mandatory quarantines, and tourist attractions and conferences closed down. With no reason to fly, a quick recovery for air travel seemed unlikely. Warren Buffett even dumped his airline stocks, claiming that the "world has changed." Passengers also wouldn't feel safe packed inside a metal tube for hours, would they? Happily for the industry, if not for the climate, the seemingly insurmountable barriers to air travel have begun to look less daunting. "We believe the worst is behind us, and we're on the uptick," American Airlines' boss, Doug Parker, said after a surge in travel over the US Memorial Day holiday weekend. Investors have taken notice. The Bloomberg Americas Airlines stocks index has rebounded by almost one-third from the mid-May low, and European carriers have made similar gains. Shares in German tour operator Tui have risen too. Such optimism feels jarring when airlines, American Airlines included, are poised to cut thousands of jobs. Most are still burning huge amounts of cash. But Parker is probably right to expect a continued recovery, at least on domestic and short-haul routes. This won't be enough to put debt-laden airlines on a secure footing, and a full demand recovery probably won't happen for a couple more years. But, right now, a desperate industry will take any good news it can get. <br/>
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New global guidelines featuring physical distancing to restart aviation safely during the coronavirus pandemic could add up to two hours of pre-departure time for passengers at some airports during peak hours, the head of an international airports' group said on Tuesday. "A large airport with low volume, they should not need much more time for the passenger to come to the airport to keep the physical distancing," Angela Gittens, director general of Airports Council International (ACI), told reporters. "At a smaller airport or an airport that has peaking, I would say that it is going to be another hour or even two hours." A United Nations aviation agency-led task force has published guidance for airlines, airports and countries to achieve a uniform approach to flying safely during the coronavirus pandemic, although it stopped short of providing specific requirements for the hard hit industry’s recovery. The guidance includes having travellers wear masks, and stand at least a metre apart at airports. The guidelines, backed by industry, address the current hodgepodge of rules put in place during the coronavirus pandemic that make flying different in almost every country.<br/>
Global air freight demand was down nearly 28% in April compared with a year earlier, according to IATA – the sharpest fall ever recorded. But because three-quarters of passenger aircraft belly space was removed from the market by the coronavirus grounding, there was still insufficient capacity to meet demand. Total capacity was cut 42% in April, though there was a 15% rise in dedicated freighter capacity. The worst-hit regions were Latin America, the Middle East and Europe, with demand down by over a third and capacity by over 40%. In Latin America, capacity more than halved. “There is a severe capacity crunch in air cargo,” said IATA DG and CE Alexandre de Juniac. “Airlines are deploying as much capacity as possible, including special charter operations and the temporary use of passenger cabins for cargo. Governments need to continue to ensure that vital supply lines remain open and efficient.” He highlights Africa and Latin America as two regions where government red tape is preventing the industry from flexibly deploying its aircraft to respond to the coronavirus crisis. IATA is urging governments to accelerate their approvals for cargo operations, fast-track customs clearance for medical supplies, and ensure adequate staffing for on-ground cargo operations.<br/>
US air travel down almost 90% from a year ago. Few sectors of the economy have endured as much devastation from the coronavirus as the travel business. Surveying the wreckage, economists and company leaders say it will take years to regenerate the $1.1t the industry produced last year, potentially leaving many airlines, hotels, rental car companies and restaurants in peril. And as long as travel remains depressed, the economy could struggle to accelerate. About 10% of all jobs flow from the travel sector. Industry-wide unemployment now tops 50%, government reports suggest, a level that could presage bankruptcies and business closures. Spending by business and leisure travelers had provided an engine of growth that helped power the economy until the virus struck. “While the rest of the country is moving into a recession," said Tori Emerson Barnes, an executive at the US Travel Association, “the travel industry is already in a depression.”<br/>
Iceland is proceeding with plans to test all incoming airline passengers for Covid-19 from June 15 in a bid to salvage its biggest export, tourism. The government’s announcement follows consultations with the country’s chief epidemiologist and a deal with DeCODE Genetics, which will assist with the testing facilities. “The economic impact of unchanged travel restrictions would be enormous,” the government said Tuesday. The tests will be carried out directly upon arrival at Keflavik Airport, at an estimated cost for the first two weeks of operations of 160m kronur ($1.2m), assuming an average of 500 tests per day. The tests will be free of charge for passengers during that initial 2-week trial period.<br/>
As conversations continue about if, when and how it's safe to be flying, airplane seat designers continue to sketch out concepts for what the future of aviation might look like. The latest off the drawing board is Interspace Lite, presented by Luke Miles, founder of transportation technology company Universal Movement. Back in December 2019, Miles premiered a new seat design dubbed Interspace, designed to make sleeping in economy a little easier thanks to "padded wings" that fold out from behind both sides of the seat back. Interspace Lite reworks this design in response to Covid-19. Miles reckons it'll provide an active solution to on board social distancing. Like other recent pandemic-inspired airplane seat designs, Interspace Lite involves adding kit to the airplane middle seat. It leans on the idea that airlines will temporarily block out middle seats in order to better enable distancing, but won't want to permanently change the cabin interior. What makes this concept stand out, says Miles, is that the divider that separates the window and aisle seat isn't a clear screen, which will make travellers feel more comfortable.<br/>