Air Traffic Up in September

September saw an improvement in air traffic and operational capacity for airlines. Among the winners was Volaris, that reported an increase of 75 percent in its operations, a great advance considering that the airline only operated at 11 percent in May, according to a La Jornada note. Grupo Aeroméxico reported this week that from August to September, the airline saw a 10 percent increase in passenger transport in domestic flights. The airline expects to increase its international flights by nearly 30 percent in October.

Now let’s jump into The Week in Aerospace!

Boeing Forecasts Slow but Sure Recovery

Boeing’s latest 20-year forecast predicts an increasing focus on fleet renewals after the COVID-19 outbreak disrupted the global aerospace industry. With many points of uncertainty for the near future, the aerospace giant highlights the historic resilience of the sector and the growth of developing economies as signs that the aerospace industry will remain strong for the foreseeable future.

COVID-19 has thrown the once steadily growing aerospace sector into chaos as air traffic plunged to its lowest point in history, leading airlines to cancel flights and ground large parts of their fleets. Airlines across the globe suddenly found themselves with more aircraft than necessary to face a diminishing number of passengers, little income and fixed maintenance and personnel costs. During 2Q20, airlines burnt through US$51 billion and are expected to lose US$77 billion during the second half of the year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Under these circumstances, many airlines have chosen to defer new aircraft they had ordered in greener times. This put commercial planemakers in the uncomfortable position of having to adjust their production to shrinking demand, which had a rippling effect throughout the entire aerospace supply chain. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the aerospace industry is still unclear as countries that had contained the outbreak are facing second waves and studying whether to close their borders a second time.

Mexico Celebrates World Space Week

Oct. 4 to 10 mark the celebration of World Space Week, a UN-coordinated event that aims to highlight the contribution of science and technology to improving human lives. During this year’s edition, which has the theme “Satellites Improve Life,” public and private institutions from over 80 countries will hold events for the general public to increase awareness of the impact of this field in daily life.

World Space Week marks two key dates in the history of space exploration: the launch of the first man-made satellite, Sputnik-1, on Oct. 4, 1957, and the signing of the “Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies” on Oct. 10, 1967. Coordinated by the UN and the World Space Week Association (WSWA), the event brings together academia, space agencies, aerospace companies, museums and other public and private entities to host a series of educational activities on space science and technology.