Malaysian airlines hope for a strong comeback with vaccine rollout

The vaccine rollout and pent up travel demand spell a strong comeback for airlines, said Tony Fernandes. The AirAsia Group CEO said that the vaccination programme will fuel the aviation sector’s recovery in the coming months. “Vaccines being rolled out and strong demand will fuel a V-shaped recovery in coming months, ” he said. Fernandes added that data from the IATA revealed that there will be a rapid recovery in domestic air travel by 2022. Despite the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the country and reintroduction of the movement control order, Fernandes is optimistic that the vaccine rollout will help the airline weather through the pandemic. “In Malaysia, although we are seeing a new wave, we see this as short term pain for long term gain. Things will get better and this is already proven in countries where vaccination progress is highest. Although Asean countries are already in early stages of vaccination, many country authorities are committed to meeting their targets of inoculating the majority of their citizens by the end of the year, ” he said. Fernandes added that travel bubbles will be effective in helping with post-pandemic tourism recovery.<br/>