Each new wave of the Coronavirus is disrupting air traffic and the negative effects of the Omicron variant are already increasing.
This Christmas weekend, 6,300 international flights were canceled by airlines and thousands delayed, especially to the United States.
In Europe, the traffic is low.
Eurocontrol recorded only 12,000 flights on December 25, or 40% less than on the same date in 2019, the last reference year.
The planes remained grounded, for lack of flight personnel, some being infected with Covid 19 and forced into isolation.
This is the case for Lufthansa, Delta or United Airlines flights.
On the other hand, Air France is not concerned.
“We may have fewer positive cases than them, but that won't happen to us anyway,” says one within the company.
Like all companies in the world, we have reserve personnel ready to replace their sick colleagues if necessary.
We have a very strict procedure with occupational medicine when an employee is positive.
If you are well organized, you can ensure all flights.
"
A drop in reservations at Air France
Air France will not, however, escape a change in its flight schedule for the coming weeks.
The meteoric spread of the Omicron variant and new restrictions in some countries are forcing airlines to downsize.
Ryanair has already announced 30% fewer flights in January, the Helvetic company Swiss will cut nearly 3,000 during the winter and Lufthansa will not provide 33,000 flights initially scheduled for January and February.
Read also Omicron variant: air transport once again penalized
“We do not yet know in what proportions, but we will adapt our flight schedule. As we have done in a precise and regular manner since the beginning of the health crisis ”, indicates one at Air France. The company is already observing a slight drop in reservations, "as a form of wait-and-see attitude on the part of our customers, fearing that they will not be able to travel if the health situation worsens".
Undermined by successive confinements, which have reduced air traffic to nothing, companies are trying to limit losses as much as possible.
They are guarding against a catastrophic scenario, which would see the health crisis escalate again, forcing countries around the world to close their borders and apply general containment.
“We dread it, obviously.
It would be terrible, we fear at Air France.
We are preserving the future today, by demonstrating agility.
We put planes where there is demand.
We cannot fly our planes empty, it is not economically sustainable.
"
