OAG foresees 6 weeks to determine the 2021 aviation landscape

OAG, the provider of digital flight information and CAPA partner, said in a bulletin published recently that the travel trends over the next six weeks will "determine how 2021 will shape up for many airlines, airports, travel companies and indeed Government revenues if travel does not pick up quickly".

That period takes us to mid Oct-2020, just before the winter schedules begin in the Northern Hemisphere, so it is largely from that perspective. Six weeks has also become the 'don't book before' marker for many travellers as regulations fluctuate frequently.

One suggestion is that airlines might even have to give away free seats in order to generate travel 'confidence' and try to make up lost revenues through ancillary sales. In reality this is in many cases not a big step, where millions of seats - for example in Vietnam - are being sold for USD1 or less.