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 This page is no longer updated but remains a source for looking back on the events our industry weathered during our toughest times.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 22 Jun 2020 Air France AIR FRANCE URGED BY MINISTER TO AVOID FORCED LAYOFFS
EMEA 25 Jun 2020 South African Airways VOTE ON SAA’S BUSINESS RESCUE PLAN POSTPONED TO JULY
EMEA 30 Jun 2020 KLM KLM CEO Still Sees Slow Recovery Even as More Flights Resume
EMEA 06 Jul 2020 British Airways Pilots' union has reached outline deal with British Airways in fight to save jobs
EMEA 12 Jul 2020 Air France Air France Outlines Return To 60% Of Schedule By October
EMEA 24 Jul 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa, Belgium agree on Brussels Airlines recovery plan
EMEA 06 Aug 2020 Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Adapts App for Touchless Travel
EMEA 16 Aug 2020 IATA IATA: The Crisis Is Having A Worsening Impact On African Aviation
EMEA 19 Aug 2020 El Al El Al Extends Flight Suspension To October
EMEA 24 Aug 2020 Virgin Atlantic High Court To Vote On Virgin Atlantic Rescue Deal Tomorrow
EMEA 07 Sep 2020 Etihad Etihad Airways Begins Offering Complimentary COVID-19 Insurance
EMEA 10 Sep 2020 Government European airline bailouts hit €26.6 billion: HSBC
EMEA 11 Sep 2020 Government European tourism bodies plead for coordinated travel restrictions
EMEA 21 Sep 2020 Government Airlines UK-commissioned study calls for reopening of US routes
EMEA 03 Oct 2020 Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Looks To Serve 124 Destinations By Year’s End
EMEA 21 Oct 2020 Air Portugal Wow: TAP Air Portugal Launches Unlimited Europe Flight Pass
EMEA 21 Oct 2020 Air Europa Spain’s Air Europa may get €450m aid, resumes more int’l ops
EMEA 23 Oct 2020 Industry European LCCs Cut Flights In Response To Second COVID Wave
EMEA 16 Mar 2020 Air France Cutting capacity by up to 90%
EMEA 16 Mar 2020 Lufthansa Cuts long haul capacity by 90%
EMEA 17 Mar 2020 Brussels Airlines Brussels Airlines temporarily suspends all its flights as of 21 March until 19 April
EMEA 23 Mar 2020 Etihad Emirates, Etihad to stop flying entirely following UAE ban
EMEA 07 Apr 2020 Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines Won’t Fly Again Until Late April
EMEA 13 Apr 2020 Air France Air France-KLM Expects Two Years To Return To Normal Operations
EMEA 17 Apr 2020 Air France French state may call on banks to contribute to Air France bailout
EMEA 17 Apr 2020 Emirates Emirates becomes first airline to conduct on-site rapid COVID-19 tests for passengers
EMEA 25 Mar 2020 Amadeus Amadeus Cuts Costs As European Travel Tech Lobby Pleads For Aid
EMEA 28 Apr 2020 Iceland Air Icelandair Group: Reduction in the number of employees and restructuring
EMEA 27 Apr 2020 Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic still seeking govt loans to mitigate COVID-19 impacts
EMEA 30 Apr 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa Plans To Reduce Fleet Size By 100 Aircraft
EMEA 11 May 2020 Government Spain Calls For EU-Wide Approach To Airline Aid
EMEA 12 May 2020 Government Iceland To Open To Tourists Again On June 15th (With Conditions)
EMEA 20 May 2020 Air France Air France terminates A380 fleet with immediate effect
EMEA 26 May 2020 El Al El Al Is Still Awaiting Government Assistance
EMEA 02 Jun 2020 Alitalia Alitalia Recommences Flights To New York
EMEA 08 Jun 2020 Air France 'Air France Protect' label launched
EMEA 10 Jun 2020 Government Hungary, Croatia to lift border restrictions from Friday
EMEA 14 Jun 2020 Government Egypt to reopen all airports on July 1, aviation minister says
EMEA 18 Jun 2020 Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Rebuilding U.S. Service
EMEA 30 Jun 2020 KLM Air-France KLM: A Political Mess
EMEA 01 Jul 2020 Government EU Confirms United States Travelers Will Be Banned Upon Reopening
EMEA 07 Jul 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa to cut a fifth of leadership jobs in restructuring
EMEA 14 Jul 2020 Air France Air France cuts another Paris Orly domestic route
EMEA 12 Aug 2020 Finnair New Travel Restrictions Force Finnair To Cut Flight Resumption
EMEA 09 Sep 2020 Industry ‘Last chance to save UK airline industry’: EasyJet chief
EMEA 11 Sep 2020 British Airways GIANT AIRLINES CUT FLIGHTS AND STAFF AS RECOVERY RECEDES
EMEA 16 Sep 2020 British Airways BA CEO: Recovery Will Be Very Long, with Some Changes Permanent
EMEA 15 Sep 2020 Emirates Emirates Warns Of UK Workforce Reduction
EMEA 21 Sep 2020 Air France €10bn euro bailout will keep Air France-KLM afloat less than year: CEO
EMEA 21 Sep 2020 Emirates Emirates Will Launch The World’s Longest Flight Since Lockdown