5 Takeaways From Skift Aviation Forum
Photo Credit: Staffing is an issue facing U.S. airlines with the CEOs of American and United citing pilots at their regional affiliates as one tough spot. Flickr / IMF Photo/Cory Hancock
Skift Take
Have airlines passed an inflection point and will 2022 be the year demand recovers more fully? Airline executives at the Skift Aviation Forum believe so, although they warn that the road to recovery will be bumpy.
The road ahead for the airline industry could be bumpy, with the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic uncertain, the return of business travel unclear, a looming pilot shortage, and supply issues with the aircraft manufacturers. Still, executives at the second annual Skift Aviation Forum on November 17 expressed optimism that the industry has passed an inflection point and is poised to more fully recovery next year. Below are the five most important lessons we took from the conference.
The Recovery Remains BumpyThe recovery is still not linear. Despite optimistic hopes that it was, executives from KLM, Lufthansa, and TAP Air Portugal all cited continued caution — especially with Covid-19 infections rising in Europe and the U.S. — as they look to 2022.
“The world is on its way to recovery,” said KLM CEO Pieter Elbers at the Skift Aviation Forum on Wednesday. But added that it is likely to be “stop and go” for some time to come. Both Elbers, and Swi
