Virus pandemic reshaping air travel as carriers struggle

In a bid to survive, airlines are desperately trying to convince a wary public that measures like mandatory face masks and hospital-grade air filters make sitting in a plane safer than many other indoor settings during the coronavirus pandemic. It isn’t working. Surveys indicate that instead of growing comfortable with air travel, more people are becoming skeptical about it. In the US, airline bookings have stalled in the past month after slowly rising — a reaction to a new surge of reported virus infections. Globally, air travel is down more than 85% from a year ago, according to industry figures. The implications for the airline industry are grave. Several leading carriers already have filed for bankruptcy protection, and if the hoped-for recovery is delayed much longer, the list will grow. The four largest US airlines lost a combined $10b from April through June. Their CEOs say they will survive, but they have lowered their expectations for a rebound. “We were all hoping that by the fall the virus might run its course,” said Southwest CEO Gary Kelly. “Obviously, that has proven to be dead wrong.” The IATA predicts carriers will lose $84b this year, making it the worst year in the industry’s history. The group says traffic won’t fully recover until 2024.<br/>