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The world of flight is starting to open up again and countries are making cautious steps to reconnect with each other, but there are many hurdles to get over before travel is back to pre-pandemic normal – if it ever is.
Covid-19 has been a circuit breaker in international travel. Emissions dropped as planes were grounded; companies have found other ways for their employees to connect.
Today The Detail looks at what might change as we dust off our passports, and the moves being made on alternative jet fuels.
The Herald’s business aviation reporter Grant Bradley says that in 2019 the corporate travel market globally was worth about $NZ2 trillion.
While many companies are desperate to revive that aspect of doing business, some have taken a serious hit financially during the shut-downs and may continue the video conference calling for some time. Others will be exercising a duty of care to their employees by not putting them into a situation where they could contract the virus.
"The consensus is that we're not going to see that corporate travel market recover to what it was for at least two or three years, maybe longer - if it will even get back to what it was," he says.
Bradley says the first revival is likely to be the “F&R” sector – friends and relatives.
“We saw that when the trans-Tasman bubble first opened up.
“The leisure market .. obviously some of the more nervous travellers will be a little bit reluctant to get back on a plane – they’ll be a little bit fearful of being stranded overseas again …. but there is a large pent-up demand for travel and I think we’ll see that next year.”
But closed borders have also brought a stark message over the cost of travel to the environment, and Bradley says some big companies that have made emissions promises may be taking that into their considerations.
“A business traveller has about three times the carbon footprint as an economy class passenger, well, that’s going to come under increased scrutiny.”
We are closer however to developing alternative jet fuels, and some of that work is going on in New Zealand.
The Detail’s Jessie Chiang talks to Newsroom Pro managing editor Jonathan Milne about what’s in the pipeline.
That includes potential projects at Marsden Point in Northland and Tiwai Point in Southland.
However, there’s a bottom line on jet emissions.
“This is where you probably won’t hear Air New Zealand or any other airline talking very bullishly, but I’m going to say what they’re not going to say, which is – we’ve got to fly less.”
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