The Covid-19 pandemic grounded passenger planes on the tarmac of airports across the world in 2020.

The rare sight of a plane in the sky was most likely one transporting cargo.

The weeks and months that followed the tragic events in New York on 9/11 had much less of an impact on aviation than the effect of the global pandemic.

It was the worst year in the industry’s history.

Impact of pandemic on aviation continued in 2021

Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions were introduced before the new year began.

However, 2021 began with hope on the horizon in the form of the vaccine rollout.

Ryanair, which normally carries the most passengers in Europe, lambasted “brutal lockdowns” and called on the government to accelerate vaccinations.

In January, it said it expected to lose 95% of its traffic in February and March, with few if any flights operating from Ireland and the UK.

The government had banned incoming travel from Britain until the end of the first week of January and required all international arrivals to provide a negative Covid-19 test from within the previous 72 hours to enter the country.

Ryanair began the year by cutting its full-year traffic forecast by a further 5m passengers to between 26m and 30m.

Aer Lingus had axed 600 jobs by early 2021 as it grappled with the impact of the pandemic.

The cuts represented more than a tenth of the 5,000 people the airline employed at the end of June 2020.

The airline, owned by IAG, plunged to a €563m loss in 2020. Its passenger revenue slumped 81.4% to €382, while cargo revenue jumped to €88m in 2020 from €34m.

A poor start to the year, but IAG said it remained committed to continuing development of Dublin Airport as a hub for transatlantic travel after the pandemic.

Aer Lingus also delivered the first Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to Ireland in January. “We are proud to be a part of the supply chain in our nation’s continued efforts to combat the virus,” the airline tweeted.

Source: Civil Aviation Authority – Qatar