Australia air travel in 2021: Airline CEOs reveal what's in store

Forecasting the future is fraught right now, especially if you've tried making travel plans recently. Consumers face confusion at every turn. Re-book those cancelled Europe flights for next year, or wait until 2022? Will you be able to travel interstate for a holiday this summer? The crippling uncertainty of closed borders and an indefinite pandemic makes booking anything almost impossible. This week a CAPA summit featured top airline and tourism bosses grappling with how and when they can revive their floundering industries. They shared their fears, forecasts and suggestions about what comes next. On international travel: Aviation's immediate future hangs on the global community's appetite for risk until a vaccine is developed. In Australia, Qantas has given up on international travel until at least July next year as it operates at just 20% of pre-COVID capacity and most staff are stood down or laid off. Qantas CE Alan Joyce sees positive signs on the horizon. "We see the international business to be smaller for sometime," he said. "But things could change." Akbar Al Baker, chief executive Qatar Airways, says the biggest challenge airlines face is lack of uniformity because "each country is forming their own rules and regulations". On domestic travel, Qantas and Virgin are itching for state borders to reopen so they can get planes in the air and stem the bleeding of cash. While Virgin survived its administration process, the airline emerged smaller and less willing to compete with Qantas on marginal routes. The demise of Tigerair may also reduce pressure on Jetstar airfares. One thing that's unlikely to survive the pandemic is any generosity towards flexible bookings. Both Qantas and Virgin have waived change fees during COVID-19 as they seek to restore confidence in the market. But once demand bounces back, don't expect flexibility to remain. Story has more.<br/>