How the pandemic killed off 64 airlines
When British regional airline Flybe went bust on January 28, its clients could have been forgiven for wondering if they had deja vu. It was the second time in three years that the airline had folded. Flybe first went under in March 2020, but relaunched two years later with UK domestic and international routes, before folding again after just 10 months. Just three days later, another airline went bankrupt. Flyr – a Norwegian airline – had launched only last year. “If you look at the number of airlines that have gone out of business, it’s staggering – and there have been major impacts across a massive number of airlines,” says Steve Ehrlich, chairman of Pilots Together, a charity founded during the pandemic to help pilots who had been laid off. “The pandemic exposed some of the weaknesses [in airlines] that we might not have seen for some time.” 2023 has been touted as the year travel finally returns to normal after three years that saw the industry on its knees. But just when you thought it was safe to get back in the air, the airline bankruptcies have returned. At the same time, prices are up. Economy fares have increased by an average of 36% for 2023, according to data from Flight Centre, a UK-based booking agency. Flying to certain destinations has become impossible if you’re on a budget. Fares to New Zealand, for example, have increased 81% year on year, they say, while flights to South Africa from the UK are up by 42% in economy and 70% in business. Of course, there’s context for both destinations. In February 2022, New Zealand was closed and while South Africa was at the center of the Omicron variant.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-02-13/general/how-the-pandemic-killed-off-64-airlines
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How the pandemic killed off 64 airlines
When British regional airline Flybe went bust on January 28, its clients could have been forgiven for wondering if they had deja vu. It was the second time in three years that the airline had folded. Flybe first went under in March 2020, but relaunched two years later with UK domestic and international routes, before folding again after just 10 months. Just three days later, another airline went bankrupt. Flyr – a Norwegian airline – had launched only last year. “If you look at the number of airlines that have gone out of business, it’s staggering – and there have been major impacts across a massive number of airlines,” says Steve Ehrlich, chairman of Pilots Together, a charity founded during the pandemic to help pilots who had been laid off. “The pandemic exposed some of the weaknesses [in airlines] that we might not have seen for some time.” 2023 has been touted as the year travel finally returns to normal after three years that saw the industry on its knees. But just when you thought it was safe to get back in the air, the airline bankruptcies have returned. At the same time, prices are up. Economy fares have increased by an average of 36% for 2023, according to data from Flight Centre, a UK-based booking agency. Flying to certain destinations has become impossible if you’re on a budget. Fares to New Zealand, for example, have increased 81% year on year, they say, while flights to South Africa from the UK are up by 42% in economy and 70% in business. Of course, there’s context for both destinations. In February 2022, New Zealand was closed and while South Africa was at the center of the Omicron variant.<br/>
