Airlines confident of narrowing losses, lash out at governments

Global airlines battered by Covid-19 seem confident of narrowing their losses and went on the offensive at an industry summit in Qatar, criticizing governments and airports over their handling of the recovery from the pandemic. “The cost of government mismanagement was substantial. It devastated economies, disrupted supply chains and destroyed jobs,” Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, told the sector’s annual meeting of more than 100 airline bosses.

Airlines have themselves been under fire from governments and consumer groups for disruption as travel demand resumes more briskly than expected, but the airline industry sees a common thread in uncoordinated government responses to the crisis. “There was one virus, but each government invented its own methodology,” Walsh told the conference.