COVID-19 News Roundup

Tracking the impact of the pandemic on travel

COVID-19 News Roundup

When the pandemic was first declared in March 2020, ATPCO understood the value of keeping track of industry-related news in the quickly changing environment. We tracked aviation news and developments from the start of the pandemic through December 2020. This page is no longer updated but remains a source for looking back on the events our industry weathered during our toughest times. We are now looking forward to recovery and a post-recovery world.

   
Region Date Organization Summary
EMEA 07 Dec 2020 Emirates Emirates Takes Delivery Of New Airbus A380
EMEA 16 Mar 2020 KLM Lays off between 1,500 and 2,000 staff
EMEA 31 Mar 2020 Air France Air France, Lufthansa And Emirates Hit Hardest By March EU Flight Restrictions
EMEA 07 Apr 2020 Lufthansa Brussels Airlines Extends Flight Suspension to 15 May
EMEA 13 Apr 2020 LOT Polish Airlines LOT Polish has withdrawn its plans to purchase Condor
EMEA 17 Mar 2020 Government UK government is now advising against all non-essential travel worldwide
EMEA 23 Apr 2020 IATA IATA: Increased Risk to Jobs as European Airline Revenues Collapse
EMEA 27 Apr 2020 KLM CORONAVIRUS COULD TRIGGER AIR FRANCE-KLM SPLIT: REPORT
EMEA 29 Apr 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa may prefer creditor protection to government ownership
EMEA 30 Apr 2020 All Nippon Airways ANA will delay reception of aircraft to cut costs: president
EMEA 04 May 2020 KLM Air France-KLM Wins EU Approval for $7.7 Billion Bailout
EMEA 09 May 2020 Air France Air France-KLM Uneasy With French Government’s ‘Good Airbus Customer’ Mandate For Coronavirus Aid
EMEA 14 May 2020 KLM KLM yields to refunds for cancelled flights
EMEA 11 May 2020 Government Why the UK’s New 14-Day Quarantine Rule Is Particularly Troubling to Business Travel Managers
EMEA 15 May 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa Group publishes June schedule with plans to fly 1,800 weekly flights
EMEA 14 May 2020 Government IAG’s Chief Willie Walsh Says British Government is Holding Back Travel Recovery
EMEA 27 May 2020 Air France Air France agrees to cut many domestic flights
EMEA 28 May 2020 SAS Airline SAS in talks on more funding to ride out coronavirus crisis
EMEA 08 Jun 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa secures €600 million state aid package for Austrian
EMEA 05 Jun 2020 Government What South Africa’s Virus Protocols Tell Us About Balancing a Travel Economy With a Nation’s Health
EMEA 11 Jun 2020 Lufthansa German airline Lufthansa plans to cut 22,000 jobs
EMEA 16 Jun 2020 British Airways Willie Walsh defends British Airways over job cut plans
EMEA 18 Jun 2020 Level Europe IAG’s Austrian Airline Level Europe Files for Insolvency
EMEA 18 Jun 2020 Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Rebuilding U.S. Service
EMEA 07 Jul 2020 Aeroflot Aeroflot chief sets out expectations for restoration of international network
EMEA 10 Jul 2020 British Airways British Airways Announces Return To London Gatwick Next Weekend
EMEA 12 Jul 2020 Government Surge in new coronavirus cases in Eastern Europe prompts new restrictions
EMEA 13 Jul 2020 Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic Works To Finalize Support For £1 Billion Bailout
EMEA 27 Jul 2020 Government ​Airlines ‘disappointed’ after UK reintroduces Spain restrictions
EMEA 30 Jul 2020 KLM Air France-KLM Second quarter 2020 results
EMEA 12 Aug 2020 Iceland Air Icelandair Cuts Boeing 737 MAX Order Amid Settlement
EMEA 14 Aug 2020 Air France Air France-KLM and French travel stocks hit by UK quarantine measure
EMEA 24 Aug 2020 Government Anguilla is accepting visitors, but adding a fee
EMEA 26 Aug 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa removes rebooking fees until 2021
EMEA 02 Sep 2020 Government South Africa may not reopen to tourists until 2021
EMEA 13 Sep 2020 KLM Air France-KLM's future in doubt without cost cuts - Dutch minister
EMEA 17 Sep 2020 South African Airways SAA creditors to meet as critical rescue funds fail to materialise
EMEA 18 Sep 2020 British Airways British Airways Launches New First Class Suite With Door
EMEA 22 Sep 2020 TUI fly TUI brings down winter capacity as short-term booking trend persists
EMEA 29 Sep 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa hopes to reopen transatlantic routes with vigorous testing
EMEA 12 Oct 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa has issued €3.2 billion in refunds in 2020
EMEA 19 Oct 2020 KLM KLM’s CEO Believes Hub And Spoke Airlines Will Be Critical To Recovery
EMEA 21 Oct 2020 British Airways British Airways CEO: Airline Industry May Never Recover From COVID-19
EMEA 16 Mar 2020 British Airways Cutting 75% of flights in April, May
EMEA 20 Mar 2020 KLM AF-KLM reveals "very significant" cutbacks
EMEA 30 Mar 2020 Lufthansa A Billionaire Is The Lufthansa Group’s New Largest Shareholder
EMEA 31 Mar 2020 Lufthansa Air France, Lufthansa And Emirates Hit Hardest By March EU Flight Restrictions
EMEA 07 Apr 2020 Emirates Emirates to Resume Limited Passenger Service April 6
EMEA 09 Apr 2020 Virgin Australia Virgin Atlantic Will Suspend All Passenger Flights For A Week
EMEA 23 Mar 2020 Government UK Government Tells Tourists To Stay Away