Topic: The Coronavirus Outbreak: An Unprecedent Shock for Aviation – What Now?
Panellists (in Alphabetical Order):
• Andrew Charlton
Managing Director of Aviation Advocacy
• Ian Douglas
UNSW Sydney and Chair of the International Air Services Commission
Australia
• Peter Forsyth
Monash University, Melbourne
• Xiaowen Fu
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
• Brian Pearce
Chief Economist International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Mike Tretheway
Chief Economist & Chief Strategy Officer of InterVISTAS, Vancouver
Moderator:
• Achim I. Czerny
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
1st GARS Online Panel Discussion was held successfully on 14 April 2020. Brian Pearce from IATA highlighted the severity of the Coronavirus outbreak on aviation. Worldwide, flights were down almost 80% by early April. The airline industry was fragile even before the outbreak because of a long tail of weak, non-profitable, airlines. Many Panellists were concerned that the current situation could endanger, or even reverse, the progress made in the liberalization of aviation markets. But, the Panellists still mostly agreed that the current situation could force the aviation industry to restructure and consolidate. That could benefit the industry in the years to come.
The recording of Online Panel Discussion is available now.
