Trump will be net positive for airline industry amid significant challenges, IATA head Walsh says
President-elect Donald Trump is set to be a “net positive” for aviation as the industry navigates a multitude of geopolitical and supply chain challenges, Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.”
“The Trump administration has been clear that they want to pump more oil, which I think will be a positive… we see the oil price actually being a net positive for both the economy and for the industry,” Walsh said.
“I think if you look at the first Trump administration, you can see that he was very supportive of the airline industry in the U.S., moved very quickly to secure the industry during the pandemic period. I think his approach to regulation is also a breath of fresh air. We’ve seen some very heavy handed regulation by the current Biden administration, so again, I would see Trump being a net positive.”
Walsh added that the geopolitical environment was the most challenging he had seen in his 45 years in the industry, but that the outlook was generally positive except for the supply chain problems which are afflicting carriers around the world.
“That really is something that’s, I think, been underestimated by the market. Hopefully we’ll see some pressure come on the key suppliers to finally get their act together,” Walsh told CNBC.
