Airlines: Ready to avoid last year's travel chaos

2023-06-04 15:05:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Airlines said on Sunday they had made preparations to avoid a repeat of the travel chaos last year.

However, they have warned that some flights may be cancelled, due to the strikes that are being organized, from time to time, at some airports.

"I am confident that we will be able to reach the peak of this season in the summer without too many problems," said Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Airline leaders attending the IATA annual meeting in Istanbul have expressed their concerns about potential problems with flights within Europe and the US.

"However, as much as they could, they have fulfilled their obligations, to provide all the necessary resources this summer. I believe most airports will be in good condition. We learned the lessons from last summer," Walsh told Reuters news agency.

Overwhelming interest in flights following the coronavirus pandemic, combined with staff shortages, caused chaos at airports in Europe and North America last summer.

The growing number of disagreements between travelers and companies has increased calls for greater passenger compensation.

The legislation is being reviewed in Canada, while the US Government is drafting new regulations.

In the European Union, pressure is being exerted for better enforcement of the regulations, which determine compensation for travelers in cases of delays of more than three hours.

However, Walsh said that it is the consumers who will pay the increase.

"The more expenses the company has, the more the burden will be reflected in the tickets. It is a very difficult environment to operate in."

Airlines have said that interest in traveling this summer is very high, reaching pre-coronavirus levels.

The new coronavirus was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

More than 6.7 million people have died since the outbreak of the pandemic worldwide.

The United States has recorded the largest number of victims, followed by India and Brazil./ Rel