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During the AGM, much has been said both about the need for cooperation across the aviation value chain to support the industry’s recovery from the pandemic. The “Partnerships to Promote a Sustainable Recovery” panel agreed that working to achieve a win-win situation is essential. Or as Deborah Flint, President and CEO, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, put it: “The common enemy is COIVD-19”.
Governments were singled out by all panelists as the stakeholder that most needed to assume a more active and constructive role. This was not necessarily a call for direct financial support, but for governments to consider their role as shareholders in aviation infrastructure or drafting legislation, at a time when the entire value chain is suffering from financial weakness.
With regard to governments needing to collaborate, Aengus Kelley, CEO and Executive Director of AerCap, commented that the “re-opening of North Atlantic Market in November must be a success – as this will be an example, others will follow”. Along similar lines, Peter Ingram, CEO, Hawaiian Airlines, said that ever-changing travel regulations had delayed the recovery of passenger traffic, but that the airline had however managed to work with their home airport to reduce costs when traffic was at its lowest.
