Despite the Ukraine war, transatlantic flights and Europe travel will increase post-Covid, says Airbus CEO.

• The attack on Ukraine by Russia raises the question of how sanctions may affect Airbus and Boeing's plans to increase aircraft production this year.
• The sanctions have not affected Russia's ability to export aluminum, steel, or titanium, which are essential for the production of airplanes.

The war in Ukraine is causing carriers to worry about the future of travel in Europe, adding to the challenges faced by the airline industry after two difficult years.

The CEO of a company based in Toulouse, France, anticipates a possible increase in travel this summer.

While visiting New York for meetings, Guillaume Faury of CNBC stated that he believes the internal European markets will not be affected by the situation in Ukraine. However, he acknowledged that air travel in Eastern Europe may experience some pressure. Despite this, Faury remains optimistic that air travel will increase in the coming months.

I believe it's highly probable that global travel will recover by the end of the pandemic.

Almost every airline CEO has expressed optimism about rebuilding travel lost during the pandemic, as Faury has.

Transatlantic flights were down more than 75% at one point, but had improved by early this year, although they were still down 36%, according to Jefferies.

Analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu stated in a research note that the majority of European air traffic originates from Western Europe, which is expected to remain relatively unaffected unless Russia launches a further offensive into NATO territory, potentially impacting transatlantic travel.

The attack on Ukraine by Russia raises the question of how sanctions may affect Airbus and its competitor's plans to increase aircraft production this year.

The sanctions have not affected Russia's ability to export aluminum, steel, or titanium, which are essential for airplane production.

Faury claims that Airbus has minimal exposure to supply chain pressures that may arise in Eastern Europe. He stated, "The security of supply is guaranteed independently of sourcing that could be challenged from Russia."

The supply chain will be crucial for Airbus as it increases production of the A320 and A220 in Europe and the U.S. due to high demand for these aircraft, which are manufactured at the company's facility in Mobile, Alabama.

Faury stated that the production rates for both planes are expected to increase by at least 20% annually over the next three years, which is a rare occurrence in the aviation industry.

In the long run, Airbus is investing heavily to develop hydrogen-powered aircraft with significantly lower emissions.

Faury stated that the company plans to collaborate with CFM International, a joint venture owned by GE and Safran, on hydrogen-powered planes and expects to enter service the first hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035.