“Airlines are not dramatically increasing their frequency to China. It’s going in the right direction but … it’s going to take some time,” said aviation adviser Bertrand Grabowski.
“The bottom line is MRO; they are totally full,” Grabowski said, adding that stored aircraft needed extensive checks. The same is true of aircraft rentals charged by lessors, some of which have on average risen by double-digit percentages over the past 12 to 24 months, according to Morris. Inflation is driving up prices of planes spare parts, while raising questions over the resilience of travel demand.