Airlines see grounds for optimism over long-haul rebound

After 18 months of gloom over prospects for long-distance flights, airlines are finally striking a more optimistic tone about some of the world’s most lucrative travel markets. The partial reopening of key routes across the North Atlantic and vital transfer hubs in the Middle East is stirring predictions that inter-continental journeys are on their way back from the devastating slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Lufthansa was the latest to predict a pickup alongside the loosening of Covid-19 curbs and a mounting vaccine take-up. The carrier said Thursday that North America could open from late summer, with Asia following at the end of the year. On a conference call following second-quarter results, CEO Carsten Spohr said he’s encouraged by high levels of interest where travel is allowed. “While we are waiting for the transatlantic to reopen for Europeans, the U.S. point of sale shows very high demand, leading the recovery of our long-haul business,” Spohr said. He cited visible acceleration in routes to Africa and Central and South America, as well as progress fighting the pandemic in Asia. “Our bilateral talks with governments are going well -- even India is going well.” In a positive development for long-distance travel, the UK on Wednesday announced a further easing of its border curbs. India, the UAE and Qatar moved to medium-risk status from high risk, meaning arrivals will no longer require a hotel quarantine. India, with deep ties to the UK, is a major driver for international flights, while the Gulf territories are home to major carriers including Dubai’s Emirates, the world’s biggest long-haul airline prior to the coronavirus outbreak. Emirates said interest in travel picked up overnight, while rival Qatar Airways said it expects a surge of bookings over coming days.<br/>