Image via Qantas //

Take me back to pre-COVID…

In news set to make travel 2021 travel hopefuls and just holiday-makers in general just a bit sad, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has delivered a report on the state of international air travel, and it’s looking less than ideal. Specifically, the IATA has predicted that international travel won’t be back to what it was before COVID-19 until 2024.

Using the uncertainty around border reopenings as the main reason, as well as slow virus containment in various countries, reduced corporate travel and low confidence by consumers, the international body suspects a much longer recovery period for the industry.

Speaking on the prediction, IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac said “Passenger traffic hit bottom in April, but the strength of the upturn has been very weak. What improvement we have seen has been domestic flying. International markets remain largely closed. Consumer confidence is depressed and not helped by the UK’s weekend decision to impose a blanket quarantine on all travellers returning from Spain. And in many parts of the world infections are still rising”.

“All of this points to a longer recovery period and more pain for the industry and the global economy.”

🧳 Latest forecast: The return of global passenger traffic to pre-#COVID19 levels is now delayed by a year, to 2024.

As int'l #travel remains limited, the recovery for global passenger traffic has been slower than expected 📉

More details 👉https://t.co/Ijt8UChxmP pic.twitter.com/RrITj6vEiz

— IATA (@IATA) July 28, 2020