Flight to Recovery: Aviation Industry Updates
By: John Clements Consultants
Tags: Traveling, Aviation, Air Travel, Covid 19, Cathay Pacific

Flight to Recovery: Aviation Industry Updates

Just when everyone thought the aviation and travel industries were slowly opening and tailoring their services to the new normal (an empty airport, passengers’ own safety precautions), then comes a new UK variant of COVID-19, placing new restrictions in the aviation and travel industries. The Philippines is not alone with all the restrictions imposed to ensure the safety of everyone.

The above-mentioned interesting and timely topic was tackled during the AMCHAM Philippines webinar last January 19, 2021 entitled “Flight to Recovery: Aviation Industry Updates” with guest speaker Rob Bradshaw, Country Manager of Cathay Pacific Airways.

From the title of the webinar itself, despite all the happenings due to the pandemic, the aviation industry is positioned to embrace the new normal as they continue to provide services to the travelers. Rob enthusiastically shared with the participants the ins and outs nowadays in Philippine aviation, as well as a glimpse of the other nearby countries in the region.

Rob cited that the unprecedented pandemic was the cause of a big drop (-44% to -80%) in international passengers in 2020.

The previous outbreaks also made an impact on air transport in Asia/Pacific; but really, COVID-19 has already surpassed previous outbreaks such as SARS (2003), Avian Flu (2005 and 2013), and MERS Flu (2015).

The following made a massive impact on Cathy Pacific:

· November 2020 data shows stalling of global air travel

· Domestic recovery stopped in November

· International air travel recovery mostly absent and

· Bookings weakening despite vaccine news.

As such, Cathay Pacific needed to restructure with government support as a mandate. All other airlines went through a similar exercise.

Cathay Pacific even started conducting a survey every 3 months to 4,700 international travelers to help them understand better their customers.

· How risky is air travel for catching COVID-19 versus other locations and activities?

Perception: traveling is dangerous. The aviation industry acknowledged high hurdles before people can feel comfortable.

· What measure would indicate to passengers that it is safe to fly again?

Top indicator: A vaccine to prevent people from getting the virus.

And for some facts shared:

· Flight-associated spread: up to 44 people in 2020 (1.2 billion pax)

· How good is cabin air?

Cathay Pacific think aircrafts are safe as they practice safety from departure to arrival.

At one point during the webinar, Rob acknowledged all those who are into online shopping. Why? The airline cargo component is moving faster compared to the passenger airline because of all the online shopping transactions where cargo passenger is involved in the cycle.

So would you still travel despite the COVID-19 restrictions? The perception for some is that traveling is dangerous. Cathay Pacific is aware of the high hurdles before people feel comfortable going back to traveling. People are scared of all the news. Rob also shared some tips to those people who still need to travel by air:

And finally, Cathay Pacific Airways is known for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine around the world with their dedicated 747 Freighter Fleet, and it is such a critical role to play in these days of the pandemic.

With all that has been discussed and shared in this article, would you still want to travel by air despite the pandemic?