Antinori explains how the Gulf carrier that kept flying through the pandemic built its network back to about 100 destinations.

Max Kownatzki took the CEO's position on April 15, as the Turkey-based airline was coming to grips with COVID-19. He describes actions that SunExpress took, including liquidating its Germany-based branch, and the challenges the pandemic presented.

Middle Eastern carriers Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways face an extended recovery in long-haul international service.

With air traffic flights and passengers drastically down in 2020, the 2019 top issues of aircraft emissions and “flight shame” have all but disappeared. But they will reappear just as soon as traffic recovers.

It is still unclear whether many airlines have the liquidity reserves and financing in place to survive the next year and emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.