Delta CEO Sees Business Travel Rebounding

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has presented an encouraging outlook on the future of business travel post-COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think there’s going to be a renaissance of business travel in our country, not just for the airlines, I think in general,” Bastian said during the virtual Bernstein 37th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference on Thursday, according to Reuters. “I think the lines actually will hold in just fine with where we were in 2019.”

The Delta chief targeted this coming September for a boom in business travel, noting that people are eager “to get back out on the road and reconnect like never before,” adding that “technology can’t possibly replicate” experiencing a new place or meeting with someone face to face.

Bastian’s prediction is consistent with the airline’s recent forecast. In April, Delta reported a steady recovery in business travel and projected more significant increases to begin after Labor Day and the busy summer travel period.

Travel management consultancy GoldSpring Consulting’s recent Business Traveler Sentiment Survey found that the continued COVID-19 vaccine rollout will be key to the recovery of business travel in 2021 and beyond.