IATA: Connectivity 'significantly disrupted' since the start of COVID-19

IATA regional VP Europe Rafael Schvartzman, speaking at the 2020 IATA AGM, said (25-Nov-2020) air connectivity has been "significantly disrupted" since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted unique city pairs connecting Europe to the rest of the world decreased from 9010 in Apr-2019 to 2110 in Apr-2020. "Each lost connection means fewer opportunities to do business, boost productivity, study, visit loved ones or boost cultural ties", Mr Schvartzman continued. He noted that growth in connectivity in the past five years had been a "clear success story" in Europe, but added that the contrast to 2020 "is clear", with connectivity down over 90% in Germany, UK, Spain, France and Italy, the top five connected countries in Europe. "Restoring connectivity in Europe is essential to support the recovery of European economies", Mr Schvartzman concluded.