The optimism in the airline industry about gradual
return to normalcy is, after all, not just wishful thinking of those who have
been severely hit by the pandemic; it is realistic, indeed.
The number of planes in the Skies in the US and UK
speaks volumes; in the UK, around Heathrow, there are plenty of planes in the
sky, compared with what we saw about a week ago. The data from Flightrada24.com
shows that is the case.
Although the demand of diesel and petrol has
recovered well the jet fuel did not recover in the same proportion, when there
were no planes in the skies. The gloomy spectacle is changing fast, giving a
multiple sectors, directly connected to air travel, a ray of hope – at last.
Since a significant number of planes carry cargo
from a continent to continent or within a continent, it is a really encouraging
sign that the transportation of good by air will be close to pre-pandemic level
in a matter of weeks, giving a life-line for the countries whose export
revenues plummeted during the pandemic.
We are not out of the wood yet, though. A few major
European countries are bracing themselves for yet another lockdown in the face
of increased infections; these countries could not get the respective populations
vaccinated in time due to various logistical challenges.
In Africa too, some countries are on the verge of
major lockdowns, as the rate of infections has gone up significantly.
We can only hope that the so-called Third Wave will
be much more manageable than the first two waves, as the public awareness – and
responsibility – is at a better point on a scale civic responsibility.
