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 This page is no longer updated but remains a source for looking back on the events our industry weathered during our toughest times.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 Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Is Burning Through Cash and Will Have to Seek Government Support
EMEA 03 Apr 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa puts 87,000 workers on reduced hours
EMEA 13 Apr 2020 Lufthansa LHG permanently retires 9% of Lufthansa branded fleet
EMEA 17 Apr 2020 Iceland Air Icelandair plans new share issue to prop up financial position
EMEA 15 Apr 2020 Skyscanner Skyscanner sees uptick in interest for late-2020 flights
EMEA 16 Mar 2020 Government UK airlines call for multibillion bailout
EMEA 26 Apr 2020 Air France Air France-KLM Sees Traffic at 70% by Year-End If All Feel Safe
EMEA 04 May 2020 Air France EU clears 7 billion euros in state aid for Air France
EMEA 07 May 2020 British Airways BRITISH AIRWAYS SAYS NO ‘MEANINGFUL’ RETURN TO SERVICE BEFORE JULY
EMEA 11 May 2020 Air France Air France boosts its passenger Covid measures
EMEA 18 May 2020 Government Germany hopes to end global travel warning in June, but no return to normal
EMEA 21 May 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa Nears Rescue, Making Germany Its Top Shareholder
EMEA 24 May 2020 KLM KLM To Introduce Voluntary Resignation Scheme From June 1st
EMEA 29 May 2020 Lufthansa German official sees Lufthansa bailout in reach, demands fairness
EMEA 28 May 2020 EasyJet EasyJet plans up to 4,500 job cuts
EMEA 01 Jun 2020 British Airways British Airways workers told to accept pay cuts of up to 60% or face the sack
EMEA 18 Jun 2020 Government Denmark will reopen to most European nations except Portugal, much of Sweden
EMEA 20 Jun 2020 KLM KLM Plans to Steadily Increase Flights Through End of Summer
EMEA 22 Jun 2020 Government France Takes Aim at Budget Carriers With Ban on Short Routes
EMEA 26 Jun 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa Shareholders Agree to $10.1 Billion Government Bailout
EMEA 01 Jul 2020 Air France Air France plans to cut 6,500 jobs by 2022
EMEA 30 Jun 2020 Air Portugal TAP Air Portugal to cut more aircraft as losses mount
EMEA 16 Jul 2020 South African Airways SAA To Receive Even More Government Cash To Realise Rescue Plan
EMEA 19 Jul 2020 Air France Air France Starts To Reinstate Inflight Meal Services
EMEA 27 Jul 2020 Air Portugal TAP Air Portugal to reach 40% of pre-Covid network in September
EMEA 30 Jul 2020 Aeroflot Aeroflot revenue falls 85% in Q2, all hopes on domestic flights
EMEA 06 Aug 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa Predicts Slow Recovery as It Reports €1.7B Q2 Loss
EMEA 19 Aug 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa subsidiaries to get vital financial injection
EMEA 19 Aug 2020 Government Finland returns travel restrictions for several countries
EMEA 01 Sep 2020 Finnair Finnair planning 1,000 redundancies and further temporary layoffs
EMEA 04 Sep 2020 South African Airways Ethiopian Airlines in rescue talks with South African Airways -CEO
EMEA 09 Sep 2020 Oman Air Oman Air to resume scheduled flights from October
EMEA 18 Sep 2020 Qatar Airways Qatar to build network into October
EMEA 22 Sep 2020 Lufthansa What To Expect From Lufthansa’s New Airline: Ocean
EMEA 22 Sep 2020 Industry Airline industry will never be the same again -former IAG CEO Walsh
EMEA 01 Oct 2020 British Airways British Airways increases October schedule
EMEA 07 Oct 2020 Government UK government launches global travel taskforce to look at cutting quarantine
EMEA 14 Oct 2020 Government Pandemic Delays Israel-UAE Direct Flights Until 2021
EMEA 16 Oct 2020 Emirates Emirates rejects the new norm, sees robust recovery
EMEA 23 Oct 2020 Emirates Emirates Rolls Out Fully Biometric Experience In Dubai
EMEA 03 Apr 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa Will Fly To Just Six Long Haul Destinations
EMEA 17 Apr 2020 Air Arabia Air Arabia Abu Dhabi on course for spring launch
EMEA 22 Apr 2020 Government Poland could give citizens money for domestic travel
EMEA 05 May 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa CEO Argues Bailout Conditions: ‘Nobody Wants The State At The Helm Of Lufthansa’
EMEA 18 May 2020 Government Spain aims to reopen borders in June, deaths down again
EMEA 19 May 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa expects hundreds of aircraft to be grounded until 2022
EMEA 25 May 2020 British Airways British Airways planning to rehire sacked staff on worse terms, union says
EMEA 28 May 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa balks at surrendering slots in exchange for aid
EMEA 27 May 2020 Government Theatres, cinemas, summer camps to reopen as Swiss relax virus curbs
EMEA 03 Jun 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa plans far-reaching restructuring to repay bailout