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Top executives of Emirates and Etihad, two of the Middle East’s biggest airlines, have said passenger demand may not return to pre-coronavirus crisis levels until 2023.<\/p>\n
About 85 percent of the world’s airlines could face financial distress by the end of the year without government aid, Emirates President Tim Clark and Etihad CEO Tony Douglas told a video conference hosted by the U.S.-UAE Business Council last week.<\/p>\n
Clark and Douglas reiterated their beliefs that until an effective vaccine for the COVID-19 respiratory disease becomes widely available, how passengers fly will be different, a statement by the council said.<\/p>\n
Lasting restrictions like 14-day quarantines, testing, and social distancing will impact demand and operations, they said.<\/p>\n
The airlines could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n
Emirates and Etihad, which operate fleets of over 370 aircraft, a majority of them wide-bodied, have grounded their operations in March and are serving limited outbound flights to take repatriate foreigners from the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n
Dubai is expected to resume welcoming tourists by July, more than four months after halting the vital sector due to the coronavirus pandemic, an official said.<\/p>\n
The return however will be gradual and could be delayed until September, Helal al-Marri, the director general of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, told Bloomberg TV last week.<\/p>\n
A majority of global airlines have also stopped operations due to shutdowns imposed to counter the spread of the novel coronavirus.<\/p>\n
The International Air Transport Association has repeatedly called on governments to provide generous aid to airlines.<\/p>\n
IATA said on April 23 that air traffic in the Middle East and North Africa is set to plummet by more than half due to the virus crisis.<\/p>\n
It also said that MENA airlines’ revenues are forecast to slump by $24.5 billion this year compared to 2019.<\/p>\n
The International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN agency, said last month that the pandemic could mean 1.2 billion fewer air passengers worldwide by September.<\/p>\n
IATA has urged governments to offer airlines direct financial support, loans and tax relief.<\/p>\n