What are the prospects of Chinas airline industry after the countrys encounter with SARS?
The signing ceremony in the Great Hall of the People for the sale of 30 Airbuses to China on April 25 was a moment of optimism in the midst of bleakness. The SARS crisis was at its peak, China had turned temporarily into a pariah nation, and Chinese airlines were experiencing an 80-percent downturn in business. In attendance at the ceremony were French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, and the fact the French Premier was willing to come at a time when China was on the ropes diplomatically will no doubt not be forgotten. Now, with SARS apparently in retreat, any fears that the sky is falling have been put to bed. The Chinese airline industry, it is unanimously agreed, will recover. It is just a matter of time. “Players in the industry are repositioning themselves now with cancelled or postponed orders,” says one industry analyst adding that the unscheduled disturbance from SARS was providing an opportunity for a necessary overhaul, reviewing health stan
