reading this and with some of the serious warnings about economic conditions in many parts of the world when this has died down (I wont say 'when its over') are airlines going to get hit with a double whammy. In pas recessions-particularly early on one of the first things corporations do is to cut travel costs. typically this involves travel approvals, across the board and banning or severely restricting business class travel a really big revenue source for airlines like BA and LH to name two.
this time around however there si the issue of Video /remote conferencing which has moved on in great strides from the 2008-10 era and so i wonder if there will be a permanent reduction in demand for Biz class which will have a serious impact on any 'rebound'. I think Ryanair have an easier recovery path than BA because even as passenger numbers climb again revenues are going to lag behind.
I hope this isnt the case, because the airline industry is already a risky enough investor proposition and indeed source of employment . I also-perhaps altruistically to believe that face to face contact (not a great phrase in these times) is not just important for business but for promoting global understanding and tolerance at a time when far too many politicians are seeking to do the exact opposite.