RIYADH: The aviation sector is poised to see a full recovery to the pre-pandemic levels as early as next year, according to International Air Transport Association director general, Willie Walsh. 

The recovery in the travel market is ongoing and it may take another year or two to see it fully back to where it was in 2019, he told Arab News in an interview on the sidelines of Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh.

Walsh believed that policies — such as the one Saudi Arabia proposed at the forum — aimed at facilitating movement of people and harmonizing the different health policies in different countries will play a big role in accelerating the recovery.

Talking on the impact of high oil prices on the recovery, Walsh said that this is not the first time the industry faced such a challenge and that demand for traveling wasn't affected in the past due to the high cost of fuel.

Airlines always know how to find a way to operate and make profit in any cost environment, he added.

Walsh noted that soaring energy prices are one of the most difficult challenges the aviation sector is facing, as it tries to come out of the economic slump caused by the pandemic — with consumers paying higher ticket prices. 

The IATA director general revealed that the airline industry is committed to achieving net-zero by 2050, despite the challenges this involves. 

Sounding a cautionary note, he made it clear that these initiatives would cost a lot of money, and would need greater commitment from the financial community to allocate funding to help achieve this target.

Earlier in the forum, He said the aviation sector has slowed due to China’s zero-Covid policy, which is impossible to achieve.

Walsh made the remarks while speaking at the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh on May 9. 

While the use of hydrogen as aviation fuel has been much talked about in recent months, Walsh indicated that a complex process was involved to achieve this.

He said countries should initially develop aircraft engines that can use this energy source.