Extended range, expensive fuel Then, there were other problems: fuel prices skyrocketed because of the war in Ukraine; because of the closure of Russian airspace, planes flying to the Far East had to take detours, resulting in a dramatic increase in flight costs. Aviation expert Gross Bongat warned that high costs could push some airlines into trouble, leading to bankruptcy — for example, small state-owned airlines that are largely state-funded but can’t really make a profit. They are also unlikely to be sheltered by connected aviation tycoons such as Lufthansa, British Airways or Air France/KLM.
On the contrary, Lufthansa intends to swallow the successor of Alitalia - ITA Airways and other small airlines. Grossbongart suspects that Swedish airline SAS could soon be among the acquisition targets. Against this background, the International photo restoration service Aerospace Biennale (ILA) opened this Wednesday (22nd) at Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 edition could not be held. Because of the war in Ukraine, military aviation may be in the spotlight more than before. Environmental protection will also be a major topic.
Still huge losses this year This actually gave the aircraft manufacturers, first Airbus and Boeing, an impetus. After all, using more fuel-efficient planes helps airlines meet their emissions targets. For example, Airbus estimates that by 2040, the world will need 39,000 planes to replace older, less fuel-efficient planes. Boeing forecasts that by 2040, average annual in-flight bus traffic in Europe alone will grow by 3.1%.