Passenger airlines have lost millions as a result of the global lockdown. The effects of more than two months of passenger traffic closure can also be seen in Poland; this was discussed during the panel "The economic consequences of Covid-19 for civil aviation". Aviation industry representatives say the coronavirus crisis should be seen as an opportunity. "Companies which survive will have the chance to enter an open playing field. After a crisis, you can't stay ordinary, you have to get on a higher level," pointed out Marcin Horała.
During the discussion, the panellists noted that the Covid-19 crisis is not as much of a challenge for aviation as for other industries, because aviation has faced many problems in recent years. "The aviation industry has experienced various crises and recessions over the last 30–40 years and has always managed to recover. Rebuilding confidence in flying plays a vital part in this. Just as September 11 showed that some issues remained with us, some changes will also become permanent after the coronavirus crisis," said Radosław Włoszek, CEO of Krakow Airport.
The panel was also an opportunity to talk about the future of the Central Transport Hub. "An economic slowdown or even a crisis is a time when investment projects are especially needed and when they are easier to carry out. If we didn't have a project like the CTH, we would have to create one, because a crisis is a time when private investments collapse and public investments have to make up for that," explained Marcin Horała, Government Representative for the CTH. "Today we're moving into the virtual world. This is our response to the crisis, to stimulate the economy, remain a leader and build systems that will not only manage air traffic, but also become a research and development centre for the CTH. The volume of air traffic will return to pre-pandemic levels in two to four years and we can't miss our chance," said Janusz Janiszewski, CEO of the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency.
