A massive loss reported by Japan Airlines on Tuesday brought into sharp relief the industry’s lopsided recovery, with US carriers bouncing back quickly and Japanese and European peers continuing to bleed red ink. Their divergent fortunes could give companies like Delta and American Airlines a distinct edge in the post-pandemic landscape, allowing them to turn temporary discrepancies into lasting leads. Japan Airlines on Tuesday reported a 57.9b yen ($529m) net loss for the April-June quarter. Though a solid cargo business and cost cuts reduced the red ink from a year earlier, passenger numbers have yet to recover from the blow inflicted by the pandemic. "It's hard to predict a recovery in demand," said Hideki Kikuyama, JAL's chief financial officer. JAL had said in May that its core business could regain profitability if international traffic returned to 40% of pre-pandemic levels and domestic travel hit 80% of that standard. But as of June, these figures clocked in at only around 30% and 7%, respectively. Recovery prospects look little better for All Nippon Airways parent ANA Holdings. The company logged a 51.1b yen loss last quarter. European carriers face a similarly tough position. Story has more especially comparing carriers in the different regions.<br/>