American Airlines Group expects to put most of its fleet back in service in the second quarter following “recent strength in domestic and short-haul international bookings” that hint at a gathering travel rebound. Falling infections and hospitalizations and rising vaccinations have spurred demand after a blow early this year when the US required negative coronavirus tests for international travelers, American said in a regulatory filing Monday. The seven-day average of net bookings on March 26 was about 90% of the 2019 level and domestic flights are 80% full, the company said. American’s upbeat assessment underscored recent progress against a pandemic that caused an unprecedented decline in travel last year. Earlier this month, the carrier reported “what looks like the beginning of a very large uptick” in demand. American on Monday projected that strong bookings would continue into the second quarter, but cautioned that visibility was limited. “Despite some areas of Europe going under new lockdowns and the US CDC still advising against unnecessary travel, the recovery is in full swing,” Andrew Didora, an analyst at Bank of America Corp., said in a report. Airline bookings are “seeing a more pronounced improvement since early February, led by leisure.” As if to underline the uncertainty facing the travel recovery, however, US airline stocks fell as Rochelle Walensky, head of the CDC, pleaded with Americans to wear masks and stick with Covid-19 measures. “I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom,” Walensky said at a press briefing. “We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope, but right now I’m scared.”<br/>
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American Airlines is gearing up for what could be a busy summer travel season in the US by getting many of its jets that remain in storage ready to fly again by June. The carrier aims to “reactivate most” of its 855 mainline aircraft — plus many of its 544 regional aircraft — in Q2, American said in a SEC filing on Monday. The move comes as net bookings hover within 90% of 2019 levels, and load factors stand at roughly 80% on capacity that is still down 40-45% compared with two years ago. American’s latest outlook is positive news for an airline industry hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. After hemorrhaging cash for more than a year, several airlines expect to break even with the help of government payroll assistance this month. So good news for American, right? Maybe not if you ask the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents pilots at the airline. American faces a lengthy training backlog as a result of both furloughed pilots and those who took voluntary leaves coming back, retraining crews from the four aircraft types that were retired during the crisis, and regular refresher training for active pilots, said APA spokesperson Dennis Tajer. “They’re going to have the metal out there, they’re going to have the passengers out there, but will they have the pilots to fly them?” he said.<br/>
Qatar Airways plans to rapidly expand its network for the summer season to over 1,200 weekly flights and 140 destinations as it ramps up capacity into what it hopes is the tail end of the pandemic. The Doha-based Oneworld carrier’s network is set to comprise 23 destinations in Africa, 14 in the Americas, 43 in Asia-Pacific, 43 in Europe and 19 in the Middle East. “We are proud to lead the recovery of international aviation, implementing the highest standards of bio-safety and hygiene and investing in the latest innovations to simplify travel and restore passenger confidence during the most challenging period in aviation’s history,” states group CE Akbar Al Baker. “Having never stopped flying throughout the pandemic, we have used our unrivalled experience and modern, fuel-efficient fleet to operate a sustainable and reliable network our passengers, trade partners and corporate customers can rely on. We also continue to offer the largest international network, including launching seven new destinations, to provide the connectivity our passengers and cargo customers need.”<br/>