By Martin Owen
I was recently shown a photo taken in 1972, of aircraft lining up to take off from London’s Heathrow Airport. It showed the Boeing 747 aircraft of three major airlines, TWA, Pan American and BOAC (a predecessor of today’s British Airways). The photo also showed aircraft of Swissair and BEA (another constituent of British Airways). It’s ironic that all five airlines were major players in 1972 and none of them exist today. 50 years ago, the 747 had recently been introduced and revolutionized long haul air travel. Some say it actually democratized air travel by allowing airlines to carry large numbers of passengers across the world at low prices. The airlines at the time operated on the ‘hub and spoke’ principal where long haul flights were operated from major cities and short-range aircraft then carried passengers to their final destination. It’s a system that to a large extent still happens today although there have been changes and they continue to evolve.
What’s this got to do with tourism today? Well, with a few exceptions Boeing 747 aircraft are not used on passenger flights any more. Even the Airbus 380, which is even larger than the 747, has ceased production and is being retired from many airlines. New technology has emerged with incredibly fuel efficient and smaller aircraft like the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 now being the equipment of choice for many long-haul airlines. These new planes come at an opportune time for the changes that are affecting the new conditions in the tourism business.
I’m a tourism guy and certainly not a medical or infectious disease expert, but it does appear that the pandemic is now becoming more endemic in many countries that either generate or receive tourists. While there are many areas of the world that are still not advisable to visit, tourism is opening up. Masking restrictions are being relaxed including on aircraft. So, what’s stopping the travel industry rebounding? As I write this there are affecting areas of the world which, for obvious reasons, are not suitable for overflights by passenger airplanes. This has resulted in much extended flight times for many long-haul flights. Routings between North America and the Far East which used to take maybe twelve hours are now being extended to seventeen hours or more.
This brings us back to the new aircraft types. Extended range versions of the A350 and 787 now entering traffic are able to handle nonstop routes like Australia and New Zealand to New York and Singapore to US destinations with ease. True, the flight may take 20 hours or more but it can be conducted in comfort and without multiple stops. It also means that instead of having to travel between major hubs (New York, Atlanta, London, Paris etc.) flights can be routed to more local airports and as the aircraft are not as large. Places like New Orleans are now able to be truly international.
I know that many travelers find the idea of long-haul flights daunting, even a transatlantic six- or nine-hour flight seems may an odyssey. Having spent much of my business life flying transatlantic and indeed flying from Europe to the Far East, Australia and New Zealand, I’ve come to accept true long-haul routes. I must confess that I’d prefer a single twenty-hour flight from point to point than multiple four- or six-hour sectors with frequent short stops. Let’s face it a flight or twenty hours is much like staying at home for a day, watching Netflix, snoozing and being brought food at regular intervals! A bit of a simplification, but I’m sure you understand.
As for our local tourism here on the Northern Gulf Coast, bookings are good for the summer. Probably not as busy as last summer which was exceptional given that guests were not able to travel to other destinations, so we benefited. However, it seems considerably better than the last ‘normal’ pre-pandemic year of 2019. So good news.