A4A exec: Airlines face headwinds ahead of full recovery

Although US airlines have begun to see a return in leisure travel demand due to the large US domestic market, the recovery has yet to take root for business travel, according to John Heimlich, vice president and chief economist at Airlines for America. The pandemic “was a deeper crisis than we expected, and a big part of that was the complete evaporation of corporate travel,” Heimlich, said in an interview, though “we do expect to see some kind of tangible recovery of corporate travel after Labor Day.” With vaccination rates rising, the biggest obstacle to recovery of the aviation industry is restrictions on international travel, Heimlich said, calling on governments to create a “clear path” to removing those obstacles.