May 11 (Reuters) -
* MOODY'S SAYS GLOBAL AIRLINES INDUSTRY OUTLOOK CHANGED TO POSITIVE AS INCREASING VACCINATIONS WILL DRIVE SURGE IN AIR TRAVEL DEMAND
* MOODY'S-POSITIVE GLOBAL AIRLINES INDUSTRY OUTLOOK RECOGNIZES SIGNIFICANT VARIATION IN RATE OF CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS, AIR TRAVEL ACROSS GEOGRAPHIES
* MOODY'S SAYS EXPECT INCREASING VACCINATIONS WILL LOWER BORDER RESTRICTIONS AND INCREASE DEMAND FOR AIR TRAVEL OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 18 MONTHS
* MOODY'S SAYS INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS OF U.S. AIRLINES WILL REMAIN SIGNIFICANTLY CURTAILED THROUGH SUMMER
* MOODY'S SAYS IN TERMS OF DOMESTIC AIR TRAVEL, CHINA, THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA ARE LEADING THE GLOBAL AIRLINES INDUSTRY'S RECOVERY
* MOODY'S-WOULD CONSIDER CHANGING OUTLOOK TO STABLE IF IT EXPECTS ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF AIR TRAVEL DEMAND ACROSS MAJOR MARKETS TO SLOW BELOW 15%
* MOODY'S-SEES GLOBAL AIRLINES INDUSTRY TO SUSTAIN OPERATING LOSSES & NEGATIVE OPERATING MARGINS FOR ALL OF 2021,ALTHOUGH TO LESSER DEGREE THAN IN 2020
* MOODY'S -LACK OF EFFICACY OF VACCINES AGAINST POTENTIAL FUTURE VARIANTS OF COVID19 WOULD LIKELY DRIVER OF FALLING DEMAND FOR AIR TRAVEL THROUGH 2023
* MOODY'S SAYS WOULD CHANGE OUTLOOK OF GLOBAL AIRLINES INDUSTRY TO NEGATIVE IF IT WERE TO EXPECT TRAVEL DEMAND TO DECLINE