A Delta Air Lines Airbus A330neo or A330-900 aircraft with neo-engine option from the European aircraft manufacturer as seen on final approach for landing at Amsterdam Schiphol AMS EHAM International Airport following a long-haul transatlantic flight.
Nicolas Economou | NurPhoto | Getty images
Hoping to go on vacation in Europe this summer? Maybe you’re out of luck.
Borders in much of Europe have been closed to most US citizens for over a year and vice versa due to the coronavirus pandemic. Airline executives said on Thursday they did not expect to open in time for the peak summer season.
Travel industry leaders have urged the Biden administration for a plan to reopen the borders, including standards for health documentation such as evidence of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, said on a quarterly appeal that the company is focused on removing restrictions that have hindered travel between the US and the UK, but that other popular tourist destinations could take longer.
The White House did not immediately comment.
Britain relaxed lockdown restrictions this week, allowing pubs, hairdressers and shops to reopen. France and Italy, on the other hand, restored temporary lockdowns last month to curb new Covid-19 infections, and vaccine distribution is slow across Europe.
“If you think of other parts of Europe, there may be occasional markets opening this summer based on leisure traffic in the south of the Mediterranean that people will be interested in,” Bastian said on the call. But I don’t think you’ll see continental Europe opened in any meaningful way until later this year. Unfortunately, we will miss much of the summer for most of continental Europe. ‘
Delta and rivals such as American Airlines and United Airlines have said domestic travel has recovered strongly from the depths of the pandemic, but international travel, which continues to face a web of entry restrictions and a delay in vaccinations, remains weak.
Delta said on Thursday that first quarter domestic passenger revenues were down 66% to $ 2.3 billion compared to the same period of 2019, but transatlantic revenues were 87% lower at $ 142 million, while trans -Pacific was down 89% to $ 62 million.
Naples, Italy, versus Naples, Florida
US carriers have refocused their once-sprawling global networks to domestic destinations, especially those with outdoor attractions such as beaches and mountains. Airlines have added service to tourist hotspots in Florida, Wyoming, and Montana. They have also seen a rising demand for beach destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico.
For example, American Airlines announced on Wednesday that it would bring its domestic summer schedule to almost the same level as in 2019.
Brian Znotins, American Airlines vice president of network planning, told CNBC that demand for European summer vacations will be difficult to generate, even if the borders open in the coming season.
“Usually, a European vacation is scheduled months in advance,” he said. So folks today, if they’re looking for a trip this summer, which a lot of people are, they don’t have much confidence in booking a trip to Rome, and so they’re going to make that hotel reservation in Jackson. Hole of Honolulu or Cancun . “
“You don’t expect the question to appear until the day after a country opens, especially from a leisure standpoint,” he said.