At one point during the pandemic-business crisis, two‑thirds of the global airline fleet sat idle on tarmacs. Figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) show passenger traffic, as measured by industry‑wide revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), was down 90% in April 2020 compared to the previous year. The figures for March 2021 show an improvement. While RPKs remain 67% lower than March 2019, largely due to limited international travel, there was a strong recovery in domestic travel, led by the U.S. The aviation industry is slowly rebounding. But as more aircraft return to the skies, there has been much discussion about the hazards that may arise from such an unprecedented period as well as some of the potential long-term impact on the sector as a whole. The slideshow above illustrates eight potential issues facing the airline industry as the pandemic recovery begins. Dave Warfel ([email protected]) North American Head of Aviation at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. See also:

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