The airline’s revenues increased by 91% to Dh59.2 billion because of a quick restoration to pre-COVID capacity and the reinstatement of more passenger flights.

Emirates received a Dh3.5 billion capital injection from the Dubai government and also took advantage of different industry programs and availed a total relief of nearly Dh800 million.

In 2021-22, Emirates boosted its passenger and cargo capacity by 47% to 36.4 billion ATKMs (available tonne-kilometers). The airline continues to restore passenger services across its network in response to the easing of pandemic-related flight and travel restrictions. Emirates said it had increased its operations and capacity to over 140 locations.

The airline served only 120 destinations before the beginning of the financial year (April 1).

Emirates carried 19.6 million passengers, with seat capacity increased by 150%. The airline had a passenger seat factor of 58.6%, up from 44.3% in 2020.

There was a 10% drop in passenger yield to 35.1 fils per Revenue Passenger Kilometre (RPKM) due to route mix, fare, and currency changes.

During 2021-22, Emirate phased out two older aircraft – a Boeing 777-300ER and one Freighter, bringing the total fleet size to 262. The Emirates spent Dh7.9 billion ($2.2 billion) on a new aircraft, facilities, and cutting-edge technology, to position the firm for recovery and growth.

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Similarly, American airliners are keen to put an end to the universal mask rule. A coalition of airlines led by United, Delta, and American airlines earlier last week had written to President Joe Biden to withdraw the federal order on the issue. They said, “Our industry has leaned into science at every turn. At the outset, we voluntarily implemented policies and procedures — mandating face coverings; requiring passenger health acknowledgments and contact tracing information, and enhancing cleaning protocols – to form a multi-layered approach to mitigate risk and prioritize the wellbeing of passengers and employees.”

It added, “However, much has changed since these measures were imposed and they no longer make sense in the current public health context. The persistent and steady decline of hospitalization and death rates are the most compelling indicators that our country is well protected against severe disease COVID-19.”

The White House is yet to react to the issue. Before this, the US Travel Association and one union of Southwest Airlines flight staff had also made similar requests.

Meanwhile, industry analysts believe that Canadian airlines may precede US counterparts in dropping this regulation in line with European carriers. In most other parts of the world, mask mandates by aircraft carriers remain with China introducing fresh restrictions in light of a fresh outbreak.

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Launched in 2020 by IATA, the Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE) will also support local communities, protect wildlife, and contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

ACE is a centralised marketplace where airlines can identify, select, and transact voluntary carbon credits or CORSIA eligible emissions units using a secure electronic interface.

Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways told the media, “We welcome the use of the IATA Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE), as it enables airlines to invest in CORSIA eligible emission reduction units, further supporting Qatar Airways’ commitment to invest in a low-carbon future, while reducing our financial risk.”

Recently, Qatar Airways and British Airways announced the next milestone in their Joint Business Partnership. British Airways have relaunched its daily services to Doha, with the airline’s first flight taking off from Gatwick last week.

In this regard, Mr. Akbar Al Baker told the media, “Expanding our Joint Business with our strategic airline partner, British Airways, is an important milestone in our ambition of providing customers access to the most extensive route network and unrivalled product.”

Now British Airways’ customers will have access to Qatar Airways’ expansive global network with connections from Doha to over 100 destinations across the world.

Qatar Airways recently started proceedings in a UK court against Airbus in a bid to resolve a dispute over skin flaws on A350 passenger jets.

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In its report, IATA said that net 2020 loss estimates have been revised to $137.7 billion from $126.4 billion. Total industry losses in 2020-2022 are expected to reach $201 billion.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said at the airline trade association’s 77th Annual General Meeting, “To survive airlines have dramatically cut costs and adapted their business to whatever opportunities were available. We are well past the deepest point of the crisis. While serious issues remain, the path to recovery is coming into view. Aviation is demonstrating its resilience yet again.”

The association also approved a plan for the global aviation industry to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. According to IATA, the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could potentially lead to 65pc of the necessary carbon emissions reduction.

IATA said, “Achieving sustainable global connectivity cannot be accomplished on the backs of airlines alone. Governments must be active partners in achieving net-zero by 2050.”

It further added that fuel suppliers must be accountable for delivering SAF at cost-competitive prices. The industry needs to produce 6mn t of SAF by 2025, which equates to 2 percent of the total requirement for aviation fuel.

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The Association said that it has not seen such a decline in global air passenger traffic in its history of IATA’s traffic series, which dates back to the 1990s.

IATA said in a press release, “Passenger demand in April (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs), plunged 94.3 percent compared to April 2019, as the Covid-19-related travel restrictions virtually shut down domestic and international air travel.”

With regard to the drop in global air passenger traffic, IATA’s Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac told the media, “April was a disaster for aviation as air travel almost entirely stopped. But April may also represent the nadir of the crisis. Flight numbers are increasing. Countries are beginning to lift mobility restrictions.”

“And business confidence is showing improvement in key markets such as China, Germany, and the US. These are positive signs as we start to rebuild the industry from a stand-still. The initial green shoots will take time possibly years to mature.”

However, the numbers picked up in the month of May, as many countries reopened their economies.

Brian Pearce, chief economist of IATA, revealed that the number of flights operated around the world in May rose by 30 percent from its lowest point in April due to the improvement in business confidence in many markets around the world.

In the month of April, IATA said in its report that Global airlines will lose $314 billion in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

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While the coronavirus is impacting the region’s aviation industry, Chinese carriers alone could lose around $12.8 billion in revenue.

The International Air Transport Association also estimated a potential 13 percent full-year loss of passenger demand for carriers in the Asia-Pacific region.

The impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the aviation sector is not only limited to carriers operating in the Asia-Pacific region. Carriers operating outside the region are expected to bear a revenue loss of $1.5 billion. This means the global revenue loss due to coronavirus will be around $29.3 billion.

Alexandre de Juniac, the International Air Transport Association’s director general and chief executive believes it is too early to understand the full impact of the coronavirus on the aviation market.

He told the media, “Airlines are following the guidance of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other public health authorities to keep passengers safe, the world connected, and the virus contained. The sharp downturn in demand as a result of Covid-19 will have a financial impact on airlines, which would be severe for those particularly exposed to the China market.”

Alexandre de Juniac further revealed that global traffic will be reduced by 4.7 percent due to the epidemic which could more than offset the growth we previously forecast and cause the first overall decline in demand since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. He believes this scenario would translate into lost passenger revenues of around $29.3 billion.

He predicts 2020 to be a tough year for the aviation industry as major carriers are forced to change or cancel routes to China or other Southeast Asian regions.

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