The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business models of regular air carriers

This paper analyzes the changing characteristics of air transportation business models due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These characterics differ with each kind of the air transport carrier. It was possible to observe the changes of the business models characteristics even sooner, during the hybridization. As regards the business models hybridization, it's given that with individual type of carriers it's rather natural activity, resulting from the need of increasing profits, reducting costs or simply the effort to successfully enter the different market. With the business model characteristic changes due to the pandemics it's rather about the forced changes triggered by the need to adapt to the current situation. Each air transport carrier bussiness model characteristics are introduced, followed up by the analysis of their changes. These changes were or are induced by the need to adapt or to completely change their behavior in the pandemic affected time. The analytical part of the paper provides easily understandable results of the air transport carrier’s behavior. It is possible to observe what the carriers are capable and willing to undertake in order to keep the customer. This paper ultimately introduces the forced changes, the air transport carriers had to accede in order to save the business from bankruptcy as well as how it would be possible to adapt their provided services in future.