Resurgent virus stunts air travel rebound
Vaccinations may not lead to a spurt in international flights amid fears of relapse
Countries that have quickly rolled out vaccines are only cautiously reopening for international travel, a sign it will take time for a hoped-for rebound in air traffic to develop.
UK airline capacity remains stuck at about one-tenth of 2019 levels, as the government weighs a May 17 target to restart international travel.
Israel, where almost 55 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated, is preparing to welcome visitors in groups from May 23 if they can show they have had the jab.
The US may provide a test case. While international trips to most
destinations are still off-limits, domestic capacity is ramping up, with airlines planning to add flights in coming weeks.
In the UK, the government, determined to protect hard-won success bringing down infection
rates, has said it’ll look at the data early next month on which countries should be green-listed in its traffic-light system, before making a final decision on the May 17 target to lift the ban on non-essential travel.
The UAE has remained open to air travel for months, while focusing on rapid vaccinations. Yet its long-distance hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are hovering at about 50 per cent of capacity, dependent on big countries in Europe and Asia to lift curbs.
Singapore Airlines hit hard
Dominant Singapore Airlines has been hit hard by travel restrictions because the city-state has no local aviation market. The government is in talks with several countries to set up air travel bubbles, including Hong Kong and Australia.
While foreigners are still barred from entry for personal travel in Hungary, it has kept its borders open for freight transit. With airline capacity 92 per cent below 2019 levels, the government is eager to vaccinated host football fans in June at the Euro 2021 soccer tournament.