The coronavirus pandemic is currently amidst a very unpredictable phase due to the omicron variant. The highly contagious nature of the variant has left businesses and individuals in jeopardy. Even the travel sector remains unstable and unpredictable. However, Tony Fernandes the chief executive of AirAsia has hopes that the International travel is very likely to recover despite the fact that the progress has been slowed down due to the new variant of COVID.
Fernandes while talking to a leading daily expressed that they believe that they are currently at the beginning of an end and added that the recovery is already under process. The AirAsia chief added that last year there was a point when none of their planes were flying but now majority of its fleet is flying domestic, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia as the demand remains robust. He has hopes that the international travel would get back to the pre-COVID levels around six months after the borders reopen again in the month of March, 2022.
It was in 2021, when fresh announcements were made regarding a quarantine-free travel in Asia. But soon a number of countries including India and Thailand reinstated restrictions on some of the arrivals as the number of omicron cases started to pile up. Fernandes added that reopening for China still remains a question as the country continues to pursue its zero-COVID policy. The AirAsia chief also mentioned about its ride-hailing business that is also performing well and has also exceeded expectations since its launch in August 2021.
The chief also said that the strategy of AirAsia will continue to remain the same when it had entered the low-cost airline market years ago. Fernandes said that it would continue to focus on efficiency that helps them towards the lower prices for its customers. The travel sector is still under the clouds due to the new variant but holidayers seem to be moving on with their plans.
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