Exclusive: In the first part of a special series, Kevin O’Toole, chief strategy officer at Cirium, tells Key.Aero about the major shifts and developments you should be watching for this year
In normal times, the airline industry is constantly moving and that’s why change comes slowly for the most part. The almost complete shutdown in February and March last year – when traffic levels fell by around 90% – offered a truly unique opportunity for carriers to try new things without risking upsetting the boat too much.
Aviation and travel data specialists Cirium published its annual Airline Insights Review last month, in which it came up with seven trends that are likely to dominate the industry this year. Part one will explore the first four which include consolidation, new generation types, aircraft retirements and forecasting demand in new ways, while part two will cover airline operational flexibility, the automated traveller experience and the rise of aircraft leasing.