The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on civil aviation is seen as unprecedented in today’s realities. The virus has had a huge impact on transport logistics in all countries. Thus, this system has undergone significant changes and difficulties, being one of the most affected by economic problems. The negative consequences and difficulties include the complete closure of the borders of countries around the world to prevent the spread of infection. In addition, decisions such as restrictions on movement within countries, a decrease in the number of supplies, a decrease in demand for many goods due to low purchasing power caused by lack of work, have caused damage (Vickerman, 2021). Private airlines faced the most difficult tests and lost significant percentages of their budget (Rothengatter et al., 2021). Some smaller companies lost their money and found themselves uncompetitive. Large global private companies began to enjoy advantages due to fame and a larger budget. However, even they are experiencing problems and a crisis due to low passenger flow and restrictions on the number of air travel.
By now, many researchers are wondering about the future of private airlines, their competitive advantages and the challenges they will face. First of all, it is necessary to understand that one of the main problems of companies will be the reduction in air travel (Abate et al., 2020). In 2020, the number of flights since April has fallen by approximately 52%, which is extremely low (Turhan, 2021). In the post-pandemic world, the main difficulties are not only the decrease in traffic due to the coronavirus, but the increase in the price of kerosene.
At the same time, larger air carriers can show the best performance in competitive turnover among private companies. In addition, an urgent problem will be the growth of the exchange rate, which is mainly linked to aircraft leasing (Albers and Rundshagen, 2020).
Aim and Objects
The purpose of this work is to identify and address the problematic moments that companies face in a post-pandemic world. Moreover, the study focuses on the competitiveness of private airlines and how to achieve them. The objects of research are passenger air transportation and theoretical aspects of passenger air transportation in the post-pandemic world. In addition, the objects include the analysis of the peculiarities of the provision of services by the airline and the opposition to the difficulties in modern realities.
It is important to note that the provision of additional services on board private airlines will be one of the main competitive niches. Selling value-added services to passengers has long been an important source of revenue for airlines (Tisdall et al., 2021). Paying for excess baggage, choosing a seat in the cabin or ordering special meals helps the passenger to fly more comfortably and the carrier to increase revenue (Christidis et al., 2021). Over the afternoon, the pandemic reduced the demand for air travel and, as a result, the cost of air fares (Dube, 2021). However, the share of value-added services in airline revenues, on the contrary, has increased. On flights from airports where shops and catering establishments were closed due to the pandemic, ordering food and shopping on board the aircraft has become more popular. At the same time, for safety reasons, many airlines, on the contrary, have stopped feeding on board or have limited the in-flight menu (Sokołowski, 2020). Due to food restrictions at airports, lounge services have become less in demand.
It is vital to explain that in the post-pandemic world, luggage and pet services are an important competitive aspect. Despite the sharp decline in the turnover of flights and the number of passengers, the desire to transfer things and animals, on the contrary, is increasing (Dube, Nhamo and Chikodzi 2021). According to the leaders of the largest air carriers in the world, of all additional services, the payment for excess baggage has become the most demanded this year (Deveci et al., 2022). It happens due to quarantine and the transition to remote work, passengers travel for a longer period and therefore carry more personal belongings with them (Eltarabily and Elghezanwy, 2020). Social distancing requirements have increased the demand for seat selection. Passengers are willing to pay for front row seats to get out of the plane faster and skip the line after landing. They mostly choose emergency exit seats more often to provide themselves with more personal space.
For passengers, their safety is extremely important, as the consequences of a coronavirus infection can have severe consequences on the body. High competitiveness in this case is made up of private airlines that have efficient ventilation systems as a preventive measure of protection. The risk of contracting coronavirus in an enclosed aircraft cabin is much higher than when exposed to contaminated particles outdoors. Therefore, the ventilation system in aircraft aims to reduce this risk. Due to it, fresh, heated and compressed air enters the cabin. At the same time, the carbon dioxide exhaled by passengers is purified using highly efficient HEPA filters (High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters). They capture 99.95 percent of all airborne particles that enter the aircraft from the outside, mix with filtered air and circulate in the cabin (Bartle et al., 2021). Thus, passengers are most strongly protected from the spread of infection.
The relevance of this topic lies in the fact that in the modern conditions of the formation of society in the conditions of a post-pandemic, the movement of passengers is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, private airlines face all sorts of difficulties, which require them to confront in a period of high competition. This means that in the new realities, the importance of the efficient operation of private airlines in the international aviation services market is growing.
The topic is of interest, since consideration of approaches to increasing the attractiveness and competitiveness of airlines is especially relevant. At this stage of the modern development of airline services, there is an increase in competition between various modes of transport and directly by aviation companies. Moreover, in the context of the post-pandemic, low-cost air carriers are beginning to intensify their activities. Certain actions in the field of aviation have different goals and methods of implementation. One of the goals of that have a significant impact is aimed at satisfying the needs of passengers, following legal entities in air transportation and protecting their rights to safe air transportation. Despite the fact that the costs of maintaining the operational readiness of civil aviation facilities have increased during the pandemic, the aviation industry is one of the key industries in the state economy. This allows to maintain its full functioning and ensures the comfort of citizens.
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