Chief Executive for Air Arabia, Adel Ali, said the swine flu virus is not having a major impact on air travel in the region and customer concerns have subsided. He said airline travelers have learned more about how to protect themselves from the virus and are more confident. Mr. Ali said “I think H1N1 has been contained. We have seen people who panicked…gain confidence.”
In August Air Arabia said many were choosing not to travel because of fears over swine flu, and it could be a bigger threat to airline travel than the economic slowdown. Mr. Ali said overall, he thinks the swine flu is now not a major threat, and rising passenger numbers is a positive trend. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said global airline revenues are expected to fall 15 per cent or $80 billion to $455 billion compared to 2008.
