Qatar Airways CEO: Coronavirus has changed the airline industry

The global coronavirus pandemic has changed the world as we know it.

It has been particularly devastating for the aviation sector. Airports have been shut, thousands of aeroplanes grounded, businesses have ceased operations, and the long-term financial cost may not be known for years to come.

According to the International Air Transport Association, this year’s loss of revenue has cost airlines more than $300bn. Thousands in the air travel industry have been left jobless.

Qatar Airways, one of the world’s biggest carriers, is no exception. The Doha-based airline was already dealing with restrictions imposed by four Gulf Arab nations as part of their blockade of Qatar.

Without access to the airspace of its neighbours, it had to find new routes and new destinations.

And now, as it navigates the turbulent skies in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, how will the airline recover from both the health and political crises? And what is in store for the future of global air travel after the pandemic ends?

The chief executive officer of Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker, talks to Al Jazeera.