Covid variant weighs on travel rebound, airports CEO warns

The spread in Europe of a more contagious form of Covid-19 is dashing hopes of recovery in air travel, with the head of a major airports operator warning that it could cut short any rebound. “The delta variant is creating such uncertainty that we can’t be sure what’s going to happen in three weeks,” said Augustin de Romanet, CEO of operator ADP, which also manages dozens of other hubs worldwide. “It’s making us very, very cautious, especially for September and October when the pandemic could come back strongly once again,” he said this weekend. European travel shares rallied in the spring on bets the continent’s traditional summer holiday season would mark at least some recovery from the pandemic, which has decimated the industry. The stocks have since hit a rocky patch amid a resurgence of travel rules. Portugal and Spain are among the latest to impose restrictions on visitors from the UK, a key source of tourism revenue, where the daily infection rate is climbing. In places like France, vacation-goers are overwhelmingly planning local jaunts.<br/>