According to the financial press on March 12 (editor: Niu Zhanlin), since the beginning of this year, the USA has experienced a series of civil aviation accidents that have resulted in a large number of casualties. Airlines stated that these accidents have raised concerns among people and prompted some passengers to cancel their air travel plans.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian stated on Tuesday that the fatal crash at Washington Reagan National Airport in January and the Delta Air Lines plane inversion incident last month may be reasons for the weak travel demand.

Bastian told investors that the crash caused a significant impact on consumers and led to a reduction of about half in the company's profit forecast for the first quarter. This caused Delta Air Lines' stock price to drop by 8% during the trading session, with the year-to-date decline expanding to 24%.

Bastian pointed out that these two accidents are among the most serious aviation incidents in the past 25 years, and many people did not realize such events could occur.

Of course, this is not the only factor leading to a decline in travel demand. Delta Air Lines also stated that economic uncertainty and declining consumer confidence have also caused damage. However, Bastian believes that flight accidents and concerns about safety are direct factors leading several airlines in the USA to report a decline in travel demand.

He added, 'We found that business travel and booking volume almost immediately came to a standstill. With the emergence of safety issues, consumers' confidence and certainty in air travel began to decline.'

Delta Air Lines also mentioned in its statement that whether it is frequent flight cancellations or reports of safety incidents, these have reduced some consumers' willingness to fly.

The CEO of American Airlines, Robert Isom, also believes that the crash is a major factor in the downward revision of revenue expectations for the quarter. However, he stated that the airline's top priority is to "fully care for the families of the victims."

American Airlines also lowered its revenue expectations for the quarter on Tuesday, now expecting total revenue in the first quarter to be basically flat compared to the first quarter of 2024, whereas the previous expectation was growth of 3% to 5%. Capacity is also expected to be flat this quarter, while previously it was expected to grow in the high single digits.

Isom pointed out that economic uncertainty is a major issue, and the crash is also an important reason for the downward revision of expectations.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is scheduled to issue a preliminary report on the Washington crash later on Tuesday. Preliminary assessments indicated that an initial analysis of the flight data and communication records from the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with the passenger plane suggests that the helicopter's altimeter may have been inaccurate, and the helicopter pilot may not have heard the tower's call.

The director of the government efficiency department, Musk, stated that the current air traffic control technology is on the "edge of catastrophic failure, putting the safety of airline passengers at serious risk," and mentioned that his company SpaceX has the technology needed to replace the current $2 billion contract.

However, there are also criticisms of the efficiency department's cuts to staff and costs, which have led to a shortage of air traffic controllers. While Musk denied knowledge of layoffs of air traffic controllers, the media confirmed that many controllers received emails requesting their resignations.