VIENNA (Reuters – Business travel is rebounding faster than anticipated, and should be stable through winter, according to Lufthansa chief executive in Germany.

According to Lufthansa’s CEO Carsten Spohr, private travel has seen an “extension” of its summer season as more people book flights that were unavailable immediately following the pandemic.

Spohr stated in an interview that there is a “positive trend” in business travel. It was low in the third quarter, but it has picked up in recent months.

Coronavirus caused global travel disruptions, leading to Lufthansa being forced by Germany into a multi-billion-dollar rescue plan.

Lufthansa believes that the average level of business travel for the medium-term will reach 90%, or even more than it was prior to COVID-19.

He stated that there will be “no sudden fall in demand for winter” this year. Business travel tends to decline less during winter, and that the “good developments” in bookings are expected to continue until December.

Spohr stated that “business travel has returned quicker and more strongly than anticipated,” adding that this was especially evident in Germany, Switzerland, Austrian and Belgian markets where there have been more flights.