While the return of some long-haul passenger activity will boost belly capacity, strong air cargo demand is set to boost cargo conversions.

Airline executives attending the World Aviation Festival in London say officials of smaller companies are returning to the air quicker than those of larger corporations, which remain bound by travel restrictions.

The airline industry anticipated a strong rebound in 2022, but more border closures and restrictions will make that harder to achieve.

Little is known about the new COVID-19 variant, but short-term flight bans and border closures are a concern for airlines.

Short-term blanket travel bans imposed on certain countries are not good news for an aviation industry that is still in recovery mode and had dared to hope that governments would adopt a more data-driven approach in response to emerging variants.

Despite the uncertainties caused by the emergence of omicron, easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said there remains a unique opportunity for easyJet to win customers and take market share from rivals over the winter.

Passenger numbers in the U.S. reached their highest levels since Spring 2020, but new concerns about the omicron coronavirus variant could threaten momentum during the winter travel season.

The recovery of air travel is under threat as countries look to insulate themselves from the new omicron coronavirus strain by re-imposing travel restrictions.