The demand for air travel and air cargo is rising now that more people are vaccinated and more businesses are reopening but should countries be quick to reopen borders and restart flights?
NOW that the world seems to be recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, air travel is reaching 80% of pre-pandemic norms for both passenger flights and cargo, however, a labor shortage is seen to hinder further recovery.
The travel restrictions imposed last year caused major disruption in the aviation sector grounding aircrafts resulting in massive layoffs of pilots and flight attendants, gate agents, baggage handlers, and customer service staff.
Airlines in the US even had to cancel a record number of flights for the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
A pilot school in Pampanga is already preparing for the next hiring surge by stepping up its training and recruitment.
"The important thing for us to do is to get ourselves prepared and be ahead of the herd," said Lev Albarece, head of training at Alpha Aviation Group, a pilot school with hubs in the Philippines, Britain, and the Middle East.
Only 100 students enrolled this year, a third of pre-pandemic levels, with costly fees and job uncertainty deterring potential pilots.
Despite this, Alpha’s flight simulators are running all day.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its September data for global air cargo markets showing how limited capacity is constraining the demand for air cargo.
“Air cargo demand grew 9.1% in September compared to pre-COVID levels. But severe capacity constraints continue to limit the ability of air cargo to absorb extra demand,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
That being said, the IATA is calling on governments to:
●Ensure that air crew operations are not hindered by COVID-19 restrictions designed for air travelers.
●Implement the commitments governments made at the ICAO High Level Conference on COVID-19 to restore international connectivity. This will ramp-up vital cargo capacity with “belly” space.
●Provide innovative policy incentives to address labor shortages where they exist.
Expanded vaccinations, the easing of restrictions, and the return of businesses bring global demand for flights and air cargo up but governments also need to be careful in reopening borders.
Tags: #airtravel, #airlines, #IATA, #aircargo