An early assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on air transport: Just another crisis or the end of aviation as we know it?

Against the dramatic context of the Covid-19 pandemic, we contribute to the academic and policy discussion by summarizing the main conclusions of a series of in-depth interviews with senior industry executives. Instead of discussing specific recovery scenarios, the focus is placed on identifying aspects that can structurally redefine the aviation industry in the medium and long term for both passenger and cargo traffic, particularly in regards to the concentration of supply, traffic resilience, passenger behaviour, health regulations and business ethics. Since the views of senior stakeholders might change as the crisis evolves, keeping a record of their early assessments represents a valuable reference for future analysis.