CANCUN, Mexico, - A deadly attack in London
and debate over travel restrictions in the United States put
safety concerns high on the agenda as global airline executives
gathered on Sunday for the industry's largest meeting of the
year.
Alexandre de Juniac, director general of the International
Air Transport Association (IATA), said the weekend's violence in
London could discourage potential visitors as similar attacks
did in Europe last year.
"In previous events, in Brussels or in Paris, the traffic
has reduced coming from certain regions of the world," de Juniac
said in an interview. "So it's possible that there is an impact,
but it's a bit early to know how big this impact will be."
Three attackers rammed a hired van into pedestrians on
London Bridge and stabbed others nearby on Saturday night,
killing at least seven people, in Britain's third major militant
attack in recent months.
U.S. President Donald Trump seized on the violence to argue
for an executive order that would temporarily ban entry into the
United States of people from six predominantly Muslim countries.
The ban has been blocked in the courts and Trump's legal team
has asked the Supreme Court to reinstate it.
"We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!" Trump
said in a series of Twitter messages.
Airlines were quick to offer assurances and refunds to
travelers on edge after the London attack, but it was unclear
whether the impact on tourism would match the fallout from
similar attacks in Europe last year.
Malaysia Airlines has offered free refunds to customers
flying into London through June 5 and may extend that offer,
Chief Executive Peter Bellew told Reuters.
"Very few people have taken up the offer and we haven't seen
any drop-off in bookings to London. But it's not good," he said.
Last year, carriers in Europe reported a drop in demand from
travelers from Asia after attacks in Paris, Brussels and Nice,
but air traffic has recovered this year.
Bellew said carriers in Asia could rethink growth plans for
new routes to Europe or the United States.
"I think it will have an impact," Bellew said, adding that
it built on Asian airlines' aversion to political risk in Europe
and the United States.
"For colleagues in Asia, there's no risk sending a new plane
or new flight to China, or a new route from Australia. You will
see a certain insularity in this vast region."
Source: Reuters