After a long period of widespread repercussions in the airline industry, the gradual resumption of flights allowed Emirates to begin once and for all to resume operation of its giant Airbus A380s in response to the growing demand for international flights.
But now, the most recently discovered Covid-19 variant, Omicron, is once again causing concern around the world, especially among those companies that have been hardest hit in previous waves of the pandemic. Among them is Emirates, which fears that this new strain could cause major new traumas for both customers and airlines.
From the information provided by our partner Aeroin, we know that Emirates was aiming to have 60 of its giant Airbus A380 aircraft in service by this time this year, representing more than half of its 118-strong fleet.
But according to Paddle Your Kanoo, Emirates CEO Tim Clark explained at a recent conference that he is concerned about the new restrictions and fears the plans may not be coming on track, given the lack of information on the variant.
«I would say probably by the end of December we will have a much clearer position, but this is a very important month for the airline industry. If this gets lost, or the winter is lost for many operators, there will be significant disruption to the business, certainly for the aviation and related business,» the CEO said.
Several countries have already started to place new restrictions on flights and travel to and from southern Africa due to the Omicron variant, while global aviation is urging governments not to control it in such a severe and impactful way.
Given this, the aviation market will suffer again until the threat of the new variant and new rules for entry into countries are revealed, as the virus continues to spread rapidly around the world.
