According To Ryanair, Air Traffic Is Required To Quickly Rebound.
Key Sentence:
- According to CEO Michael O'Leary, Ryanair expects a "robust recovery" for short-haul Europe flights.
- The airline, which estimates its ability to return to pre-pandemic levels, has also launched 14 new routes from London airport.
Gatwick will open new flights to Spain, and Luton will now offer flights to Gran Canaria, Naples, and Grenoble. Stansted will also provide new services, including Helsinki and Stockholm. The Dublin-based airline expects to fly a total of 10.5 million passengers per month over the next three months.
"Prices will continue to rise over the winter but will still be below pre-Covid prices," O'Leary said. "We don't expect prices to return to pre-Covid-19 levels in the summer of 2022," he added. The airline also plans to expand its orders for Boeing aircraft and hopes to purchase up to 55 new planes.
"We certainly have a strong desire to order the Max-10, but only if the weather and price are right," O'Leary said.
He continues to criticize the UK government's current travel restrictions. "If you just remove stupid traffic lights that don't work and confuse people, then I think people are very likely to get back flying," he said. The resumption of travel in Europe and restrictions on fully vaccinated UK passengers have increased demand significantly.
As a result, EasyJet also announced that it would be expanding its flight schedule. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker recently told analysts, "We are in the midst of an unprecedented recovery." British Airways, owned by London-based IAG, said it was working on plans for a short-haul presence at Gatwick Airport.
But the airline also warned it faced "serious" problems with labor costs set to "surge" when the grant program ended in September. Since the pandemic began, the government has announced that the aviation sector will benefit from £7 billion in government aid by the end of September.
Route change
However, he added that he would suspend flights from Belfast City Airport in September and Belfast International Airport in October. Ryanair blamed the airport's operating costs and "the UK government's refusal to suspend or reduce air travel taxes."
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ryanair will also suspend operations from London's Southend Airport in November. This means that no passenger planes will use the airport.
Australian airline Qantas also said earlier this month that the pandemic would likely cost them A$20 billion (£10.6 billion) in revenue by the end of 2021. More optimistic about resuming more international flights from December once Australia's vaccination rate reaches 80% of the eligible population.