We all had high hopes for aviation recovery in 2021 after the stagnation of last year. Now, as we approach the end of its first quarter, it’s clear that this recovery isn’t as quick or widespread as we’d hoped it would be. However, there are many pluses and reasons for optimism.
Recently, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported declining domestic air bookings due to uncertainly travelers are feeling about the ever-changing situations in different countries. The association also noted that even China – the largest domestic air travel market during the pandemic – seems to have hit a snag with low travel rates throughout Chinese New Year, a traditionally busy time for travel. Cargo remains consistently in demand and has recovered to pre-COVID levels. But this demand is not evenly distributed. Markets connecting Asia and North America are outperforming Europe and the North Atlantic market.
It was hoped that by this time, all global countries would be facilitating at least limited travel and that people would be prepared to travel and enabled to do so again. But, unfortunately, the new variants of COVID-19 that have been developing in different places have forced governments to again restrict travel in and out of their states. So, the prognosis is that the first half of this year isn’t going to be as good as was hoped.
However, we must remain positive. A year of being either restricted to their homes or areas has left many people with a huge appetite for travel. Vulnerable populations in the world’s developed countries are now getting vaccinated and it’s hoped a significant proportion will have received it soon. This will give people the confidence to travel, and also give governments the confidence to open their borders to internal visitors. Also, digital travel apps that enable travelers to securely control their health data and share it with relevant international authorities will be a game-changer. Already, many commercial airlines like Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, Etihad, Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, RwandAir, and Singapore Airlines have done or are committed to doing trials with the IATA Travel Pass. However, the contribution apps like this will make toward aviation recovery depends on governments enabling and accepting digital verifications for health records.
There’s no doubt our industry will bounce back, we just need to be patient, keep doing what we’re doing, and trust that countries will get this pandemic under control and passengers will begin traveling once it’s feasible for them to do so.
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Mitch Launius
Instructor Pilot for 30 West IP
Mitch is the CEO of 30 West IP where he is also an instructor providing pilot training on international procedures. With an illustrious career of over 34 years in the cockpit, Mitch has acquired over 13,000 hours of flight time flying worldwide, with over 9,000 hours of this in Challenger and Gulfstream aircraft. He is an experienced safety officer and was also an IS-BAO project manager for a fortune 500 flight department. He has presented on Safety and Operations topics at the NBAA International Operators Conference and the Canadian Business Aviation Association Convention and is currently on the NBAA International Operators Committee and serves as the North Atlantic Regional Lead. Mitch is also a member of an FAA working group on General Aviation International Authorizations and Tabletop Exercises (GIATE). He was recently selected to represent IBAC as a member of the ICAO Personal Training and Licensing Panel (PTLP) and was also recently named as a 2020 recipient of the NBAA Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award for his contribution to the business aviation community.
Henry ‘Duke’ LeDuc
Director Of Operations, Americas, UAS International Trip Support
Duke has been a dearly respected member of UAS Americas team and the UAS global family for more than five years. A safety-oriented, FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he oversees all of the operations of the elite UAS Operations Team. With twenty-five years of experience in aviation overall with more than fifteen years of experience in international flight planning and VVIP trip coordination, he is responsible for the development of the dispatch training program and involved in the strategic development of UAS Americas. With a myriad of rich aviation experience behind him, he has extensive experience in worldwide operations with both corporate and charter environments, including seven years as Operations/Dispatch Manager in an industry-leading, Fortune 500, IS-BAO Stage III Certified corporate flight department. Duke is frequently asked shares his knowledge at major industry events and is currently serving on the NBAA’s International Operators Conference (IOC) Planning Committee.
Dudley King
President and Founder, FlightBridge
Dudley is the Founder and President of FlightBridge, which he established in 2011 and has been focused on technology solutions for the private aviation industry since 2006. Since he graduated from Dartmouth in 1988, he has worked with an array of companies listed anywhere from VentureWire to the Fortune 100. A rare blend of executive, entrepreneur, and consultant, Dudley’s executive roles have included acting CIO positions for several companies and tech advisory services to CEOs trying to rebuild their technology organizations or looking for an external, professional point of view. Highly skilled at deeply understanding his customer’s business challenges and drawing from a long and varied experience in information technology services, Dudley excels at designing technology solutions to solve their problems.
Dr. Paulo Alves
Global Medical Director, Aviation Health, Medaire
Paulo has extensive experience in medical advisory in the aviation industry. As a cardiologist, he provides technical guidance and analysis for MedAire’s MedLink medical advisory service and is MedAire’s liaison with civil aviation regulators and industry associations. Paulo worked with Varig Brazilian Airlines for 23 years, 10 of which were spent as General Medical Manager. A member of the MedAire Medical Advisory Board, Paulo is also President of the Ibero-American Aerospace Medical Association, a member of the International Academy of Aerospace Medicine, a member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Safety Committee, a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), and a Fellow of the Civil Aviation Medical Association. Throughout his illustrious career, Paulo has held industry leadership roles including Chairperson of the AsMA’s Air Transport Medicine Committee, President of the Airlines Medical Directors Association, President of the Brazilian Society of Aerospace Medicine and was a member of the IATA Medical Advisory Group from 2002 to 2006.
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