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Speaking after JetBlue launched a counter-bid for U.S. budget carrier Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE), Director General Willie Walsh also said he saw further scope for consolidation among airlines in the United States.
“It clearly took the market by surprise,” Walsh told a regular industry news briefing.
“It is evidence that the financial strength of U.S. airlines does stand out from the rest of the world,” he said, adding that consumers had benefited from major investments in new products.
IATA said global passenger traffic rebounded in February as the impact of the Omicron variant retreated outside Asia. The war in Ukraine has yet to feed through into monthly data.
In February, passenger traffic stood at 54.5% of levels seen in the same month of 2019, up from 50.6% in January but below the 55.1% seen in December. Cargo volumes were at 111.9%.
