Originally Posted by
Flitefone
Meanwhile, life goes on.
The aviation industry is in the midst of its biggest ever existential crisis. As things stand today, IATA are expecting recovery to 2019 levels around 2025, others have different views. Paris Airports for instance expect recovery by 2027. The generally accepted rate of recovery around the industry is building this year from -50 to 60% below 2019 traffic, rising to -30% in 2021, -10-15% in 2022 and so on. Of course no one knows for sure.
Many airlines and airports have had little or no income for six months, they are bleeding cash at unsustainable levels, there is a very real prospect that more will go bust and disappear this winter, meanwhile, those with a good balance sheet will expand into the gaps arising. Just as at SOU routes vacated by Flybe are being picked up by others - but for the foreseeable future at a much reduced capacity. LGW for instance is likely to see more Ryanair and Wizz, taking advantage of the doubts about return of Virgin, Norwegian and others.
The financial press is reporting that distressed airlines and airports are selling assets to raise cash, such as sale and lease back of aircraft, buildings, aircraft engines and land. Terminals are being closed and mothballed around the world.
For most regional airports in the UK and elsewhere, survival is the objective for at least the next two years, then recovery. Investment on the other hand is a long way off. The only thing that airports can currently control is cost, they have no significant ability to drive revenue for which many are certainly desperate.
In the meantime, airports are running on skeleton staffing levels, thousands of airport staff have already been made redundant in the UK alone. Not to mention the airline redundancies and those in air traffic control. Domestic and leisure travel is expected to lead the recovery when it comes.... so, if you want to support your local airport, there is only one strategy that might work; USE IT... or perhaps more than ever before, you will lose it!
FF
Well said FF; a sensible and reasoned post. This forum is for
rumours and
news, rather than for opinions - some of which are grossly deluded or plain childish fantasy. Angry ranting gets nowhere and should be taken elsewhere. Constructive analysis, as in the above post, gets to the core of the matter and assists in intelligent debate.