BOSTON—Global airlines on Tuesday wrapped up their first meeting since COVID-19 lockdowns brought their industry to its knees, voicing optimism about pent-up demand but desperate for governments to harmonize disjointed border rules to avoid slipping back into recession. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which groups 290 airlines, said confusion over travel restrictions were holding back the industry’s fragile recovery after the lockdowns plunged air travel into its worst ever downturn. “People want to fly. We’ve seen strong evidence of that,” said Director General Willie Walsh. “They can’t fly because we have restrictions that are impeding international travel.” IATA expects international travel to double next year compared with the depressed levels seen during the pandemic and reach 44 percent of pre-crisis 2019 levels. In contrast, domestic travel is tipped to reach 93 percent of the pre-pandemic levels. The trade group, which includes dozens of state-owned carriers, blamed that gap on …
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