Coronavirus: Air travel won't return to pre-crisis levels until 2023, IATA chief warns

When will flights resume between US and EU?

The trade association for the world’s airlines said that demand for air travel had dropped more than 90% in Europe and the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, and warned that recovery will be even slower if lockdowns and travel restrictions are extended.

“We are asking governments to have a phased approach to restart the industry and to fly again,” Alexandre de Juniac, the IATA’s director general and CEO, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Thursday. De Juniac is hopeful that some flying will resume by the summer.

“We are aiming at reopening and boosting the domestic market by end of the second quarter, and opening the regional or continental markets — such as Europe, North America or Asia-Pacific — by the third quarter, and intercontinental in the fall,” he said.

“So for summer we hope that you will see flights within Europe coming back, with I hope interesting prices and very safe processes of control.”

The European Union’s external borders remain closed to non-EU nationals until mid-June. The European Commission has recommended a phased approach for its member states to reopen borders that would start with countries with low levels of coronavirus infections.

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