Aviation experts highlight challenges faced amid pandemic

RAS AL KHAIMAH — The aviation industry has suffered most during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the lockdowns imposed by most countries, experts agreed at the 2021 Arab Aviation Summit.

Under the theme, “Arab Aviation in the New Normal”, the 2021 Arab Aviation Summit, which started on Monday brought together experts to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and provide ways to overcome it.

Experts agreed on how “catastrophic” the pandemic’s impact has been on the aviation industry, describing it as “the most brutal and most challenging crisis the aviation industry has ever faced”. 

 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said earlier that airlines would lose $84.3 billion in 2020.

“Aviation has a huge contribution into every country’s economy. Most of the businesses were impacted negatively by the pandemic, but the pandemic’s impact on the aviation sector is the most difficult, as we have the most expensive liabilities.” Adel Al-Ali, Air Arabia Group CEO, said during his opening remarks.

Al-Ali said the aviation sector is resilient and agile, as people want to travel.

 “It is about connecting; people want to be connected which is our job, to connect people together,” he explained.

“The Arab Aviation Summit was created to promote the knowledge of aviation to the public as people know a little about aviation,” he added.

“In the MENA region, people have the need to travel because everybody has someone in another city or country and that dictates for us to travel. People travel for all kinds of purposes. This need brings creativity, so our goal is not to go back to the way things were before but to adapt and have a new norm,” Al-Ali said.

“The industry is fighting for profitable growth, which will allow us to face all the challenges. I have no doubt that life ahead will be better and our industry will bounce back…,” according to Al-Ali.

Raki Phillips, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority CEO, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has been very challenging for the aviation and tourism industry. As an industry, social distancing is not ideal for us. But right now we are hopefully moving in the right direction.”

“During my career, I have experienced many tragedies which affected our industry, but I can proudly say that the tourism sector always made a comeback with the aviation partners as it is a resilient sector,” Phillips added.

As an industry, aviation was able to “pivot and adapt to the new norm” in a short time on such a short notice, according to Phillips.

“Tourism and aviation will create a much stronger cooperation together, to help tourists travel by air safely.” Phillips noted.

“The past year has been one of the hardest days of my working career even though I have been through many other crises, but this pandemic had been the most frustrating as it is uncontrollable. And it got more frustrating especially when employees ask what will happen next, we do not want anyone to lose their job,” Al-Ali noted.

Voicing optimism, he said: “I think we will reach the end in a positive way”. 

 IATA predicted that the aviation industry would be in a recovery mode in 2021, but still well below pre-crisis levels.

The recovery will be long and progressive, according to IATA.