Will Omicron stall the airline sector recovery in 2022?

The spread of the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, will slow the recovery for the airline industry, but it has not dented overall demand for tickets during the busy winter travel season, according to Emirates airline president, Tim Clark. "Omicron slowed our momentum somewhat, but we are still seeing positive demand recovery overall," Clark tells the BBC. For people travelling internationally, the spread of the new Covid-19 variant is ushering in new testing rules, border closures and the rapid reintroduction of quarantine measures. This shift raised concerns for many airlines just ahead of their significant Christmas and New Year travel season which generates big revenues due to higher ticket sales. This holiday period is crucial for the industry, with flights operating at high capacity as millions across the globe travel for holidays and to visit families. Story has more details about Middle East carriers. While airline industry bosses in the Middle East say they're not perturbed by the spread of Omicron, executives in other regions are feeling jittery. Apart from travel restrictions, navigating new testing rules as more details about the new variant emerge, is also proving to be a big challenge. Top European airlines such as British Airways, Ryanair, and easyJet pushed back against the introduction of new testing rules for vaccinated travellers brought in by the UK government, and have asked for immediate financial support to sustain the sector through this latest crisis.<br/>