Air travel recovery could take three years, say Emirates, Etihad
The airlines also warned it could take until 2023 for passenger demand to recover to pre-crisis levels
Middle East state carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways believe it could take three years for air travel demand to return to levels seen just before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, according to the US- UAE business council.
The business council hosted a video conference with Emirates President Tim Clark and Etihad Chief Executive Tony Douglas on Wednesday, it said.
Clark and Douglas both said during the conference that they believed 85% of the world's airlines are at risk of insolvency, and that without state support could go bankrupt before year-end, according to the business council.
The airlines also warned it could take until 2023 for passenger demand to recover to pre-crisis levels.
Emirates and Etihad could not be immediately reached for comment on the statements attributed to their executives.
The pandemic has brought international air travel to a virtual halt, and many airlines have warned they may not survive the crisis.
