‘Complete stop’ in European air travel as Covid testing wipes out demand

Aircraft movements in European airspace are collapsing towards the low levels seen during the first wave of the pandemic in April, as more travel restrictions hit demand for airline operations, according to Eurocontrol. Eurocontrol’s DG Eamonn Brennan explains that the region is essentially seeing only “cargo operations, business jets and a very limited skeleton service of traditional point-to-point” flights in its airspace. “We’re reaching a low point in aviation that we haven’t seen since the total stop of last April,” he states. “The requirement for advanced testing is causing a complete stop in the system.” Amid a devastating wave of Covid-19 cases across the region, Europe’s governments have been tightening borders – partly through the introduction of coronavirus testing requirements – and discouraging anything but essential travel during what was already expected to be a challenging quarter for airlines. The first quarter of the year is also one where few carriers make profits during ‘normal’ times. Amid this worsening near-term situation, airlines are instigating “huge capacity cuts” and are “removing flights” from already thin schedules, Brennan observes. Eurocontrol is currently seeing “a 62% reduction” in aircraft movements versus the same period in 2019. “But the bad news is that next week we will issue a new set of scenarios, and we’re trending downwards,” he states.<br/>