Airlines restructuring and rapid testing before flights - what the new normal for aviation could look like

After getting battered this year by COVID-19 travel restrictions, experts say the commercial aviation sector could look very different as it tries to build a post-pandemic future. “The global airline industry is facing an unprecedented crisis and airlines are in survival mode. Many airlines will not have the financial means to survive an indefinite shutdown that, for many, already exceeds a half-year,” IATA Asia Pacific corporate communications assistant director Albert Tjoeng said. “The airline industry is facing an US$84b (S$114b) net loss this year and we are not expecting travel demand globally to recover to 2019 levels until 2024.” SIA reported a record S$1.1b loss for the quarter ending Jun 30 while Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung noted in Parliament that Changi Airport is serving just 1.5% of its usual passenger volume. Describing the revival of the Changi air hub as a “top national priority” for his ministry, Ong spelled out a few ways in which air travel could safely resume. These include the establishment of travel bubbles with countries and regimes deemed safe, as well as a “rigorous testing regime” in place of a two-week isolation period for travellers. “Imposing quarantine on arriving passengers has the same impact as closing the border,” said Tjoeng. IATA has called for universal, systematic testing for all travellers before departure as a way to reverse the fortunes of the ailing aviation sector. “Health screening before travel is essential. As testing technologies advance in speed, accuracy and scalability, we could see it playing an important role in future travel,” said Tjoeng. <br/>