The Travel industry wants reopening of transatlantic travel between America and Britain. COVID-19 has devastated the industry, which is gasping for breath. Airlines on either side of the Atlantic want Joe Biden and Boris Johnson to unlock the corridor. That will save the countries' economies and help reunite families who have separated for a long time. The travel industry is hopeful of revival in 2021 after the glut in 2020 due to coronavirus.
Daily Mail U.K. reports the airlines have written to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on the subject. They want the authorities to arrive at a decision.
The signatories include major airlines of the U.S. and U.K. In their opinion, the leaders could decide on the subject when they meet for the G7 in Cornwall, England, June 11-13. That would provide the airlines with some lead-time to chalk out the routes.
The economy of many countries depend on travel and tourism
COVID-19 originated in China, and it has taken a heavy toll on lives all over the world. It is highly contagious, and the advice of the medical fraternity is to avoid direct contact with strangers and maintain social distancing. These are difficult to achieve at the airport or inside the aircraft, where crowding is inevitable. Obviously, the travel industry was affected. Airlines grounded their aircraft, and cruise operators dropped anchor in ports.
The situation improved with the rollout of vaccines. Daily Mail U.K. says both the U.S. and the U.K. have vaccinated roughly a third of their populations. Hence, there is less panic, and airlines would welcome a new phase to ease travel restrictions. They want the authorities to review the decisions and reintroduce hassle-free travel between countries.
The London to New York flight was the most lucrative in the world before the Coronavirus struck. In October 2020, Hong Kong and Singapore had plans for an air travel bubble.
The travel sector has to reinvent itself
The rules for travel during COVID-19 vary from one country to another. The result is confusion for travelers and financial loss for airlines.
Aircraft must be in the air, not parked on the ground. Ever since the restrictions took effect, airlines are struggling for survival. Daily Mail U.K. mentions a report from Airlines for America that reveals loss to the major US airlines was to the tune of nearly $7 billion.
That was in addition to the loss in 2020 that worked out to around $35billion. It harmed employment. The report went on to predict that normalcy could return by 2023. Airlines feel the time has come to have a relook at the travel scenario. In their letter of May 3, the coalition of airlines said: “Safely reopening borders between the U.S. and U.K. is essential for both countries’ economic recovery from Covid-19.” The alliance has 48 co-signers led by Virgin.
Airlines want a reopening plan for transatlantic travel
According to New York Post, major airlines of the U.S. and U.K. want speedy reopening of transatlantic travel and ease of COVID-19 restrictions. Such an action would boost the economies that depend on travel-related businesses. In the form of a joint letter, many major airlines have sent a communication to the authorities.
They want a reopening plan for travel and suggested a summit on the subject prior to the G7 summit. That would help them complete pre-launch activities like staffing crews and selling tickets. It seemed in 2019, more than 22 million people traveled between the two countries. Four million of them were visiting family and friends. That was in the days before the pandemic.
