The International Air Transport Association (IATA) foresees that the entire American continent will have reopened its borders to a greater or lesser extent by November of this year , following the announcements made by the governments of Argentina and Chile.
However, the road to full recovery is still long and the airline industry could still face several unexpected problems in the coming months, said Peter Cerdá , IATA Vice President for the Americas, during his participation in the IATA General Assembly that will be held. celebrated this week in Boston, United States.
“We are seeing the phasing out of travel restrictions across the continent. The most recent occurred in Argentina, Canada and Chile , 3 countries that imposed some of the most restrictive measures, but have now opened their borders to international travelers or have put a plan in place to do so, ”said Cerdá.
While these announcements are good news for the airline industry, IATA expects North American and Latin American airlines to lose $ 5.5 billion and $ 5.6 billion respectively during 2021.
By next year , IATA estimates that North American airlines will regain profitability and earn $ 9.9 billion . For their part, the Latin American companies will reduce their losses, but will still register a net loss of $ 3.7 billion.
“The strength of the United States-Latin America market will be an important contributing factor to improving finances . However, the restructuring costs of some airlines in the region will impact financial performance and keep all of Latin America at a collective loss, ”added Cerdá.
Finally, IATA reiterated the need to improve cooperation with governments , particularly in border control; likewise, that governments accept vaccination certificates and digital COVID test results to create a common standard of operation; also requested that no new charges , fees and taxes be generated for the aviation industry and, finally, new consumer protection initiatives be developed, but respecting the best international practices, while maintaining ecological sustainability as a key element for the recovery of the industry .
(October 05, 2021)
America will reopen borders to 100% by November: IATA
T21 MX
http://t21.com.mx/aereo/2021/10/05/america-reabrira-fronteras-100-noviembre-iata
