The head of Portugal’s Civil Aviation Authority, Luis Miguel Ribeiro, has said it will take much longer than previously expected for the airline industry to recover
Lusa news reported on Monday the head of Portugal’s Civil Aviation Authority, Luis Miguel Ribeiro, said the reduction in air travel caused by the coronavirus pandemic had led to the loss of about 7 million jobs in the European Union (EU).
“In Europe, the social impact of the decline in air transport has been particularly severe, leading to the loss of around 7 million jobs”, – Ribeiro said.
Consequently, he believes it will take much longer than previously expected for the airline industry to recover. However, Ribeiro stressed that despite the safety measures already in place, it was necessary “to continue to prepare a coordinated and coherent response” to the evolving epidemiological situation.
On Monday, the European Commission (EC) recommended for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that EU countries ease restrictions and allow foreign tourists vaccinated with products certified by the European Medicines Agency or the World Health Organisation to enter. However, it is up to EU member states to determine border crossing procedures; the European Commission can only make recommendations in this area.