Qatar Airways said it won’t be able to operate a full network of flights until 2023 “unless a miracle” happens within the next year, as the aviation market begins a long, slow recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.
The travel industry needs “around two to three years to get back to 2019 levels,” Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said in a phone interview on Monday. The Doha-based company has reduced headcount to help reduce operating costs while planes remain grounded, he said.
- Qatar Airways plans to rehire employees made redundant once countries start to lift travel bans imposed to contain the coronavirus
- Social distancing will be factored in when the airline restarts operations in a way that complies with local and international regulations
- Leaving an empty seat between travelers may be part of a long-term solution, though this will be harder to enforce with families
- Qatar Airways will give 100,000 round-trip tickets to front-line medical workers to thank them for their work looking after patients during the coronavirus pandemic
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