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 This page is no longer updated but remains a source for looking back on the events our industry weathered during our toughest times.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
North America 03 Sep 2020 American Airlines American Airlines Chops 83,000 Flights From October Schedule
North America 04 Sep 2020 Delta Delta Air Lines confirms no furloughs for flight attendants
North America 09 Sep 2020 American Airlines American Airlines sees small silver lining from COVID-19 — aircraft fleet simplification
North America 12 Sep 2020 Westjet WestJet Becomes The Latest Airline To Offer COVID-19 Insurance
North America 10 Sep 2020 Air Transat Transat’s fiscal Q3 yields 99% decline in revenue
North America 16 Sep 2020 United United Airlines pilot union voting to save thousands of jobs
North America 05 Oct 2020 American Airlines Irish COVID testing company teams up with American Airlines to kickstart international travel
North America 30 Sep 2020 Government Tens of thousands of airline workers are out of jobs after Congress fails to reach deal
North America 06 Oct 2020 United American Airlines cuts 46% - or 86,000 - flights from its November schedule while United is forced to reduce its plan by 52% - days after the top US carriers furloughed a combined 32,000 employees
North America 06 Oct 2020 Government Canadian aviation intensifies its dire warnings to government
North America 08 Oct 2020 Delta Delta headquarters employees affected by shrinking of workforce
North America 13 Oct 2020 Delta Delta Air Lines Sees An Opportunity To Do More Regional Flying
North America 19 Oct 2020 Air Transat Air Transat Expects More Layoffs With Vancouver Base Closure
North America 20 Oct 2020 Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines CEO: We won’t get back to 2019 levels until ‘well beyond next summer’
North America 21 Oct 2020 Delta Delta CEO: COVID-19 international travel recovery will require regulations
North America 09 Nov 2020 Air Canada European Commission delays decision on Air Canada purchase of Transat until January
North America 16 Nov 2020 Air Canada Transat seeks shareholders’ approval of deal with Air Canada
North America 23 Nov 2020 Delta US DoT: Delta Air Lines, WestJet withdraw application for proposed US-Canada
North America 07 Dec 2020 Air Canada As passengers pushed for refunds, Air Canada got more than $400 million from wage subsidy
North America 07 Dec 2020 Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines expands Covid-testing options
North America 14 Dec 2020 Air Canada Air Canada launches biometric boarding
North America 14 Dec 2020 Delta Delta joins American in scrapping international ticket change fees
Middle East 14 Dec 2020 Emirates Emirates Takes Its 117th Airbus A380 As It Awaits First With Premium Economy
Middle East 14 Dec 2020 Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Continues To Strengthen Airline Partnerships
Latin America 17 Mar 2020 LATAM Chile closes borders as Latam grounds flights over pandemic
Latin America 24 Apr 2020 LATAM LATAM Brazil Wants To Stop Flying But Can’t
Latin America 10 May 2020 Avianca Avianca Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy In The US
Latin America 17 May 2020 LATAM LATAM Airlines Brasil to resume Frankfurt connectivity on 19-May-2020
Latin America 09 Jul 2020 LATAM LATAM Airlines adds $1.3 billion to bankruptcy financing proposal, Brazil unit seeks protection
Latin America 11 Aug 2020 Government Colombia Is Set To Open Up Domestic Flights On 1 September
Latin America 08 Sep 2020 Government IATA: 'We do not want Argentina to continue losing connectivity'
Latin America 25 Sep 2020 Avianca Avianca To Restart International Flights From Colombia On Monday
Latin America 19 Oct 2020 LATAM LATAM Airlines Group capacity down 80% year-on-year in Sep-2020
Latin America 09 Nov 2020 Aeroméxico Aeromexico: Passenger numbers up 22.9% in October
Latin America 28 Apr 2020 Government Argentina bans commercial flight sales until 1 September
Latin America 03 May 2020 LATAM LATAM Airlines Exits The oneworld Alliance
Latin America 24 Jul 2020 LATAM LATAM Airlines creditors oppose bankruptcy loan proposal
Latin America 04 Sep 2020 LATAM LATAM Airlines expects air fares to drop due to excess capacity, fare flexibility and reduced demand
Latin America 10 Sep 2020 LATAM Latam Airlines Judge Denies $2.45 Billion Bankruptcy Loan
Latin America 14 Sep 2020 Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras Azul Receives Government Loan Proposal Worth $376m
Latin America 06 Oct 2020 Avianca Avianca’s $2 Billion Financing Approved In New York
Latin America 02 Oct 2020 Government Argentina Claims Commercial Flights Will Resume In Mid-October
Latin America 24 Mar 2020 Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras Azul will cut capacity by 90% to just 70 flights in Brazil from March 25 to April 30
Latin America 13 May 2020 Avianca Latin America's airlines pray for bailouts to avoid Avianca's fate
Latin America 22 Jul 2020 LATAM LATAM Airlines Gets OK For $9.8M Breakup Fee On $1.3B DIP
Latin America 21 Aug 2020 Government Panama suspends international flights for another month
Latin America 08 Sep 2020 Government Colombia Could Soon Start Opening To International Flights
Latin America 10 Sep 2020 LATAM LATAM names former JetBlue executive as new commercial chief
Latin America 16 Sep 2020 Industry Latin American Airlines Accelerate Digital Strategy To Overcome Pandemic
Latin America 17 Sep 2020 LATAM LATAM Airlines Increasing Subsidiary Operations During September