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This should have been a year of recovery for the travel industry, which has been hit hard by the global coronavirus pandemic, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a devastating impact.
After two years of interrupted travel due to Covid-19 restrictions, airlines and tour operators are facing cancellations and uncertainty over international travel.
More than 30 countries have so far closed their airspace to Russia, while Moscow has reacted in the same way. Russia’s Civil Aviation Authority announced it has closed its airspace to carriers of at least 37 countries as of Tuesday, while airspace over Ukraine, Moldova and parts of Belarus also remains closed.
These movements have caused flight cancellations or airway diversions. But the long-term consequences for the travel industry can be far greater.
Rising fuel costs will drive up travel prices
Global crude oil prices rose to more than $ 110 a barrel on Wednesday as investors feared Russian energy exports would be curtailed or halted as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.
These price increases will make any kind of travel more expensive. Along with potentially longer airlines that need more fuel while avoiding Russian airspace, higher prices will eventually have to pass on to the consumer.
A rise in prices could lead to lower demand and this is bad news for an industry that is already trying to offset pandemic-related losses, not to mention inflation.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, known as EASA, has warned of a “high risk” for civilian aircraft flying near the Ukrainian border. Airspace over Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova is also on the risk list.
For many passengers and crew already scared of coronavirus concerns, the idea of flying anywhere near a conflict zone may be redundant.
The UN says more than two million people have been forced to flee their homes and up to four million people are expected to flee in the coming weeks if the conflict continues. The effects of a possible spread of the virus in neighboring countries could cause governments to tighten restrictions on Covid-19, which will keep up the pressure on the travel industry.
Adapted from CNN
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