ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — As COVID-19 restrictions are kept in place, the travel industry is being hit hard. Aerospace companies in Rockford say the have felt the ripple effects. It may take some time for their industry to recover.

Kevin Michaels is the managing director of Aerodynamic Advisory. He projects that commercial aviation won’t return to levels they used to see before COVID-19 until late 2023. He says it could happen sooner but national data shows that some Americans will be reluctant to start flying again after the pandemic.

“If you look at the surveys that have been done by IATA, there is between 10 and 20% of the traveling public that really wants to see that it’s safe to travel, and they’re going to wait six months to a year or more before climbing back onto an aircraft,” explained Michaels.

Some local aerospace companies say that demand has stayed high from military partners, which has helped keep them afloat.

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