THE AVIATION INDUSTRY The outbreak of the global pandemic has hugely impacted the aviation industry, particularly the decrease in number of passengers and the loss of money. The aviation industry was one of the first sectors to be hit by the coronavirus outbreak as lockdown prevented non-essential domestic and international travel. During the first lockdown passengers stopped flying to areas with a higher number of cases. Figures show that by the end of 2020, the number of passengers at UK airports had fallen by 75.2% to figures that hadn’t been seen since 1985. There were only 73.8 million passengers reported to have travelled, mainly in the first 3 months of the pandemic. In total, 14.1 passengers travelled through UK airports from July to September in 1975, and in 2020, 14.2 million passengers travelled through the Uk airports in the same period of time. Even though flights to destinations that are considered safe have started again, the aviation industry still expects to lose around £1bn. Financial analysis by the international air transport association initially projected that airline passenger revenues would drop by $314 billion in 2020, a fall of 55% compared to 2019; however figures have shown that this could fall by $419 billion instead. Passenger demand Passenger capacity Net profit Global -54.7% -40.4% -$84.3b The impact of the pandemic on the aviation workforce was also significant, with many staff being deployed to support the pandemic effort. The companies need to ensure that staff are returned to their roles with appropriate support and training. As government and industry restrictions on the aviation industry begin to ease, it is vital that the procedures set out by the appropriate industry bodies and authorities are adhered to consistently to control and manage risks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of the passenger journey, every element of departure, arrival and the flights themselves, the airlines must ensure consistent and effective risk management to ensure the safety of the passengers and the staff.
PAGE 44
