– It’s a good time to start an airline now. That’s what Chris Goater says. He is Head of Communications at the International Air Transport Organization, abbreviated Iata. He can tell that 86 airlines entered the years during the pandemic, 2020-21. But that this is offset by the number of newcomers. 29 new airlines were established in 2020. Last year, the number increased to as many as 57. – Why start an airline during such a difficult time as a pandemic? “There are probably several reasons,” says Goater. One is that the barriers to establishing oneself in the industry have been lower. During the pandemic, a number of planes were available as well as crews to fly them. So as some markets reopened, it was possible to establish companies to service the demand that then arose. Red numbers for the industry That someone has seen their average to establish themselves does not mean that there have been particularly good numbers for the industry as a whole, says IATA (external link). In 2020, the losses for the industry were estimated at 137.7 billion dollars. The year is described as the worst for the industry ever. – In terms of demand, it fell by 58.4 percent last year, compared to 2019, Goater at IATA can inform. Global passenger numbers fell in 2020 to 1.8 billion, from 4.5 billion in 2019, according to the BBC. However, there is one part of the aviation industry that has had good times during the pandemic: Those who operate with freight. Here, demand increased by almost 7 percent last year, compared to 2019. – Our economic forecast for October estimated that the losses for airlines in 2021 were 51.8 billion dollars. The figures will be updated later this month, along with an updated forecast for 2022. High demand The BBC has also summarized the status of aviation, after two years of pandemics. They refer to some of the newcomers, who are found in all parts of the world. For example, we have Avelo and Breeze in the United States. Play and Niceair in Iceland. Australian Bonza and Indian Akasa. Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO of the newly established airline Norse Atlantic Airways. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB One of the Norwegian newcomers is Norse Atlantic Airways. – There is a large pent-up demand. People have not been able to travel for two years or more, especially between continents, says Bjørn Tore Larsen to the BBC. He is the CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways. They will fly between Europe and North America from mid-June, after buying flights at low prices and securing good “slots” at attractive airports – such as London Gatwick and New York JFK. Another Norwegian newcomer is the airline Flyr. news has told about how the low prices they have had on routes to Bodø, among other places, have attracted attention. news interviewed CEO Tonje Wikstrom Frislid in Flyr during the annual Aviation Conference, which took place in Bodø on 10 May. Then she said, among other things, that starting up during a pandemic gave some advantages: – Aviation is a complex industry, with heavy organizations. We got to start with blank sheets and new systems. And can then have a light organization, where we do not have to be big to be profitable. So for us it is a huge opportunity. We also see that other companies around the world have thought so. Good conditions – It sounds strange to start an airline during the worst crisis for the industry ever. Flight analyst Hans Jørgen Elnæs at Winair. Photo: Marit Sirum-Eikre / news This is what aviation analyst Hans Jørgen Elnæs at Winair tells news. But like Iata, he points out that it has been beneficial to establish airlines in the last couple of years. – Many companies received very attractive agreements for renting aircraft. It was good with capital in the financial markets, and access to technical personnel you normally never get. He says that in the flora of newcomers, there are many small and regional companies operating in a limited market. Thus, they probably do not pose a major threat to, for example, Lufthansa, British Airways or Sas. At least not in the short term, says Elnæs. – Norse may be the ones who have taken maximum advantage of the situation by hiring 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. No one has succeeded with low-cost long-distance yet, but perhaps Norse will be the first. You should not ignore that. A flight from Norse at Gardermoen in March this year. Photo: STAFF / Reuters Do not think everyone will survive The winners are regardless of us as customers, who have more to choose from. More players competing in the low-price segment is good news for your wallet. Then there is the question of whether companies have the right to life in the long run. – Hardly, Elnæs thinks. He points out that the financial markets are not as open as they were a year or two ago. The companies that are struggling with high fuel prices at the same time as the competition increases after the pandemic, will be able to face difficult times. Increased demand for pilots and other personnel may lead to new companies being acquired. – Is it still lucrative to establish an airline? – The window that has been, it is about to close now, says the analyst. Thus, there may not be as many new establishments in the future.
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– Strange – news Nordland
