
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is maintaining its June forecast for the global air transport industry to post a $28 billion net profit this year, though director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said on Tuesday he had to “recognize that the trend is more in declining mode than increasing mode” in the wake of the Boeing Max 737 groundings, weakening demand, “big” uncertainty on the price of oil, and a spate of airline bankruptcies in Europe. Two French airlines—Aigle Azur and XL Airways France—ceased trading this month, European travel group Thomas Cook filed for bankruptcy on Monday, and Slovenia’s Adria Airways halted the majority of flight operations for two days on September 24 and 25 due to liquidity problems. Thomas Cook’s insolvency is prompting the UK civil aviation authority to launch what it calls “the biggest peacetime repatriation” in the country’s history.