by Donald Wood
Last updated: 2:58 PM ET, Tue July 28, 2020
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced experts believe it will take until 2024 for the airline industry to return to pre-pandemic levels.
According to The Associated Press, IATA chief economist Brian Pearce revealed Tuesday the inability for the United States and other countries to contain the ongoing coronavirus outbreak has caused the organization to push back its prediction by one year.
Pearce said while the aviation industry has started to rebound from the lowest totals seen in April, the jump in travelers in the U.S. "is barely visible" and way behind confidence levels seen in Europe and Asia.
The IATA believes the industry is struggling due to renewed outbreaks, weak consumer confidence and constrained travel budgets for companies and individual passengers. In a recent study, data found only 62.9 percent of domestic flights were full and 38.9 percent for international travel.
Last week, respected financial firm Moody's Investor Services issued a new report on the beleaguered airline industry, which revealed it would continue to suffer well into 2023 because of the current coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, Delta Air Lines released its latest plans to increase health and safety protocols, which include a new partnership with the makers of Lysol to develop breakthrough disinfection solutions and even further elevate standards for hygiene in air travel.
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