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With more people receiving vaccines for the coronavirus every day in developed countries, Delta CEO Ed Bastian is hopeful the aviation industry has finally cleared the heaviest turbulence caused by the more-than-yearlong pandemic that has closed borders and grounded flights. In an interview, Bastian said travel demand was recovering quickly at least at home, and that the US travel industry could rebound by summer. But not all travel is expected to return so quickly. Routes to Asia in particular will likely be the "last part of our international business that returns," he said, citing the region's setbacks in vaccination efforts, as well as the distance and costs associated with trans-Pacific flights. The executive also touched on the importance of curbing the aviation industry's environmental effect, as well as the challenges American businesses face in navigating political topics like the new controversial voting law in Georgia, Delta's home state. Story features excerpts from the interview.<br/>

Strong cargo demand propelled Korean Air to an operating profit of W125b ($110m) in its Q1 results, compared with an operating loss of W65.7b a year earlier. Revenue for the three months ended 31 March fell 24% to W1.75t, owing to the drop in passenger demand during the coronavirus pandemic. The airline was also able to narrow its net loss to W28.8b, compared to a net loss of W692m a year earlier. Korean notes that cargo sales in Q1 "more than doubled” year on year to W1.35t. “Despite decreased passenger flight belly capacity because of the pandemic, Korean Air maximised cargo operations by fully utilising its 23 freighters, operating cargo-only passenger flights and converting passenger jets into freighters,” it says. “Also, as vaccination progresses, expectations on global economic recovery grow, which helps increase air cargo demand.”<br/>