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 This page is no longer updated but remains a source for looking back on the events our industry weathered during our toughest times.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 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
EMEA 26 Apr 2020 Government German government divided over form of Lufthansa rescue deal
EMEA 29 Apr 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa “will not abandon Brussels Airlines”
EMEA 29 Apr 2020 Finnair Finnair Is Losing Approximately €2 Million Per Day
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 11 Sep 2020 British Airways BA Pay Deal: Cabin Crew divide shows
EMEA 11 Sep 2020 Government First European 'travel bubble' ends as coronavirus cases rise in Estonia
EMEA 21 Sep 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa takes 1.1 bln euro impairment as it further shrinks fleet
EMEA 13 Oct 2020 Government EU traffic light scheme will mean ‘borders remain effectively closed’
EMEA 16 Oct 2020 British Airways British Airways fined £20m over data breach
EMEA 19 Oct 2020 British Airways New BA boss Doyle criticises government inaction on UK-US routes
EMEA 16 Mar 2020 British Airways Willie Walsh postpones retirement
EMEA 18 Mar 2020 Air Dolomiti Air Dolomiti temporarily suspends ops
EMEA 23 Mar 2020 Iceland Air Icelandair is operating only 14% of its planned flight schedule
EMEA 31 Mar 2020 Emirates Air France, Lufthansa And Emirates Hit Hardest By March EU Flight Restrictions
EMEA 03 Apr 2020 Condor Germany ready to nationalise airline Condor
EMEA 15 Apr 2020 South African Airways South African Airways Will Not Receive Further Government Support
EMEA 17 Mar 2020 Government Switzerland Locks Down Until April
EMEA 23 Apr 2020 COVID-19 Coronavirus Has Hit These African Aviation Markets The Hardest
EMEA 24 Apr 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa Expects Cash Shortage Within Weeks
EMEA 29 Apr 2020 Lufthansa Austria says it might demand Lufthansa stake for Austrian Airlines aid
EMEA 03 May 2020 British Airways British Airways At The Forefront Of Change For A Post-COVID-19 Airline World
EMEA 01 May 2020 Iberia IAG’s Iberia & Vueling Receive €1 Billion In Loans