Hawaiian Air CEO Says Reaction to Omicron Variant Will Impact Recovery

Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram parsed his words, but some are reading between the lines.

The airline executive this week said that the reactions – over-reactions, maybe? – from the United States and more than a dozen other countries to restrict travel in the wake of the Omicron variant are putting up a roadblock to full travel recovery from the pandemic.

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"It would be naive to see we didn't take a setback as policymakers reacted very quickly to the Omicron variant," Ingram said at a CAPA Centre for Aviation meeting, according to Reuters News Service. "We are going to have to see what develops in this space in the days ahead."

The Biden Administration, along with a handful of other nations, banned travel from nine southern African countries when Omicron was first discovered late last month.

The U.S. also tightened restrictions on international travelers.

Ingram told Reuters he was encouraged by the return of travelers from some key markets, including Asia and Australia, prior to the Omicron variant.

But, so far, Hawaii Gov. David Ige – who ushered in some of the strictest entry requirements for travelers of any state during the nearly two-year old pandemic – seems reluctant to further tighten restrictions.

“I’m encouraged because we see strong demands for vaccinations. We see a very strong desire for boosters for those who are fully vaccinated,” he told HKON in Honolulu. “By talking with health experts from South Africa and, and in the U.S., the Omicron variant doesn’t appear to be more deadly or increase the severity of the disease. So we continue to be hopeful.”

Still, Ige cautioned that “It’s about people being smart about their holiday interactions. Avoid large gatherings, especially if it’s people that you don’t normally interact with. Wear your masks, especially indoors, because we do know that that makes a difference.”