There will be a reduction in capacity all over the world as some airlines become bankrupt and fold because of the pandemic-induced crisis, Qatar Airways group chief executive HE Akbar al-Baker said and noted “people will still be able to afford to travel.”
“Airfares may not go to the level that people expect, though it will be affordable…it will not be very much than what they pay today… it will not be cheap,” al-Baker told Qatar TV in an interview.
Al-Baker said, “This game (Covid-19 pandemic) is not going to go over very soon. The pandemic is going to continue for some more time. There will be a lot of pressure as you can see… Britain has blocked airlines coming into the airport...France has blocked its airspace for anybody other than the French. There are many countries who have already declared that they will not allow foreigners into their country for as much as one year. So, we will be under a lot of pressure.
“But believe me, people are taking this pandemic very easily. We are at a risk, internationally…we may see a fourth or a fifth wave, if we are not going to take care.”
On vaccines rollout, al-Baker said, “Yes, it is a temporary protection, but in the long term, we have to take precautions such as social distancing, wearing masks, and keeping hygiene and making sure we respect the regulations that are brought out by the authorities concerned.”
In March last year, when the WHO declared Covid-19 as a pandemic and as airports started shutting, passengers started demanding refunds for their unused tickets.
And in this regard, Qatar Airways gave nearly $1.6bn of refunds to hundreds of thousands of passengers, al-Baker revealed.
“While other airlines froze the refunds and even demanded that only vouchers be given instead, Qatar Airways held its responsibility and upheld our reputation both as a national carrier of Qatar and a reputable airline.”
Al-Baker emphasised that “air travel today is still the safest mode of travel, if you take precautions.”
He said, “And in that (regard), Qatar Airways provided all our customers with precautionary equipment, precautionary items, masks, face shields, and protected our cabin crew with PPEs. We took all precautions and by having the latest type of aircraft - the Boeing 787s and the Airbus 350s, which have the world’s most advanced air filtration systems, we really did not take the risks that people accused us of.
“And we have made sure that our passengers who have the confidence in Qatar Airways, are taken to their destinations and to their loved ones, safely.”
Qatar Airways recently announced that it is aiming to become the first airline in the Middle East to begin trialling the innovative new IATA Travel Pass ‘Digital Passport’ mobile app, in partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), from March.
The trial will play an important role in the airline's vision to have a more contactless, secure and seamless travel experience for its passengers.
The first phase of trials of the ‘Digital Passport’ will be rolled out on the airline’s Doha-Istanbul route, enabling passengers to receive Covid-19 test results and verify they are eligible to undertake their journey.
Al-Baker said “This is a pilot project. This was initiated by us at IATA. We studied as to how to introduce an IATA pass - so that people will have an app – they will know exactly that they have been vaccinated and that they can travel to countries with quarantine, travel with the requirements of each country.
“So this travel pass of IATA will give the correct guidance to the passengers in order for them to safely travel from A to B. Istanbul is the pilot project for QR using this safe travel pass.”