State of the Travel Industry

(Reuters) International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Willie Walsh has advised that overall passenger traffic was picking up faster than expected despite the war in Ukraine and continued restrictions in major aviation market China.

Walsh said high oil prices and travel disruptions caused by labour shortages had so far not deterred travellers, even though oil prices had probably caused a 10% rise in fares.

"I don't think we should be distracted from the fact that we are seeing a strong recovery and I think that recovery will gather momentum as we go through the rest of this year into 2023."

Overall, the industry was now heading towards recovering to pre-pandemic passenger traffic in 2023, helped by an expected strong summer that year, Walsh said.

Rebuilding the industry

Addressing the audience at a recent event in Singapore, Walsh said “we are in a battle for talent. And as we try to rebuild our industry, it's important that we become more attractive, particularly more attractive to women. This industry has always been seen as a male dominated industry, we need to change that to ensure that we can, not just attract but also to retain the best talent in the industry so that we can build on the progress that we've made and ensure that we have a sustainable financial business and a sustainable environmental business for the future.

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On sustainability

In a recent interview with Graham Dunn, published on Flight Global, Walsh touched on the existential challenge airlines are facing in terms of sustainability

If the day-to-day focus for airlines has been on navigating the crisis, the industry has at the same time had to address another more fundamental issue to its existence: how to tackle its environmental impact at a time when the issue is becoming ever more important to regulators and consumers alike.

While Walsh is encouraged at recent developments around the role technology could play in helping to cut emissions, IATA’s roadmap to net-zero by 2050 has been centred heavily around sustainable aviation fuel – which it sees accounting for 65% of total fuel requirement.

(read full article here)

On rebuilding the industry

We are in a battle for talent. And as we try to rebuild our industry, it's important that we become more attractive, particularly more attractive to women. This industry has always been seen as a male dominated industry, we need to change that to ensure that we can, not just attract but also to retain the best talent in the industry so that we can build on the progress that we've made, and ensure that we have a sustainable financial business and a sustainable environmental business for the future.