Global airlines relieved over lifting of US travel ban

The United States' decision to lift restrictions on incoming travellers vaccinated against Covid-19 was met with a sigh of a relief by the global airline sector, which has been dealt a body blow by the pandemic. With transatlantic flights traditionally among the most lucrative for Europe's biggest airlines, the announcement on Monday (Sept 20) was "formidable news" for a sector that has haemorrhaged tens of billions of euros over the past 18 months, Air France-KLM chief Benjamin Smith said. For most of Europe's flag carriers - such as Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa - the restrictions on long-haul routes across the Atlantic were particularly hard to swallow. Air France-KLM, for example, generates 40% of its sales from its North Atlantic services, and for Germany's Lufthansa, the proportion is 50%. "Today's news... marks an historic moment," said BA chief Sean Doyle. "Our customers should now feel that the world is reopening to them and they can book their trips with confidence." US airlines such as United, Delta and American are much more domestically orientated and less dependent on international services, which account for 25 to 30% of revenues. But they, too, welcomed the news. "Today's announcement marks a positive step in our nation's recovery," said the head of the industry association Airlines for America Nicholas Calio. Sister organisation Airlines for Europe tweeted that it similarly "applauds the decision", which would "give a much-needed boost to trans-Atlantic traffic & #tourism and will reunite families and friends". The IATA described it as "a major step forward".<br/>