ISTANBUL, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The aviation industry across the world would soon heal its wounds caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 and rise again from where it left off, Kadri Samsunlu, CEO of Turkey's Istanbul Airport, told Xinhua on Tuesday.
Although the closure of the borders of many countries has deeply affected the aviation sector, "it would not take much time for people to return to their old habits once the atmosphere of trust would be created," he noted.
In Turkey, the government recently grounded all international and domestic flights in order to curb the fast increase of the COVID-19 cases.
"The rapid progression of this pandemic caused a serious decline in the industry," Samsunlu admitted.
In his view, the process should not be seen as just a financial crisis, but rather a period that changed people's daily lives, bringing their travel habits to a different realm.
"We should always focus on the post-crisis era," he continued. "Therefore, in the next period, the problem itself will be no longer a matter."
How the solution will go in line with the changing world dynamics will be more critical, the CEO pointed out.
Istanbul Airport served 64 million passengers over the last year after it became fully operational on April 6, 2019, according to the data revealed by the airport administration.
The airport also hosted 74 aviation companies and 67 food firms, generating 24 million U.S. dollars of additional payment to the state, it said in a press release.
For Samsunlu, another major blow the aviation industry has received in the past year was the Boeing 737 MAX crisis.
Turkish Airlines, the country's national flag carrier, grounded 24 737 MAX aircraft in its fleet for security concerns arising from two deadly crashes that occurred in other countries.
"The aviation industry has always been able to get out of such crises stronger," Samsunlu said, reiterating his trust in the Turkish aviation industry.
"We are sure that in the coming days, the industry will continue to grow much more rapidly," he added.
