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 This page is no longer updated but remains a source for looking back on the events our industry weathered during our toughest times.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 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 16 Mar 2020 KLM Cutting capacity by up to 90%
EMEA 23 Mar 2020 British Airways Government 'draws up plans to buy shares In British Airways
EMEA 24 Mar 2020 Avianca Avianca will suspend all operations from 25 March through at least 12 April
EMEA 27 Mar 2020 Alitalia Alitalia To Be Downsized Following Nationalization
EMEA 31 Mar 2020 Emirates Emirates to receive capital injection from Dubai government
EMEA 07 Apr 2020 British Airways BA Left Flying To Just 15 Destinations
EMEA 20 Apr 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa Group continues to amend flight schedule
EMEA 03 Apr 2020 IATA IATA: Middle East and Africa Airlines Revenue Losses Mount - Urgent Government Support Required
EMEA 30 Apr 2020 Emirates Emirates protects and prepares its all wide-body fleet
EMEA 03 May 2020 COVID-19 Vienna Airport Will Start Offering Coronavirus Tests On Arrival
EMEA 07 May 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa seeking 9 billion euro bailout
EMEA 10 May 2020 Emirates Amazing: Emirates Posts Higher Full Year Profit
EMEA 27 May 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa refuses to approve $9.9 billion bailout over EU conditions
EMEA 27 May 2020 Oman Air Oman Air Becomes Latest To Adopt Full Body PPE For Crew
EMEA 28 May 2020 Government Spain May Open Some Cities But Not Others to Foreign Tourism First
EMEA 03 Jun 2020 Lufthansa German airline Lufthansa reports $2.3bn net loss in first quarter
EMEA 05 Jun 2020 British Airways British Airways owner considers legal action against government quarantine plan – and Ryanair vows support
EMEA 09 Jun 2020 Industry A Missed Opportunity Made European Aviation’s COVID Fall Out Much Worse
EMEA 12 Jun 2020 KLM Air France-KLM to make refunds for cancelled flights more available
EMEA 12 Jun 2020 Industry The Darkest Hour Is Over: Middle Eastern Carriers Slowly Ramp Up Flights
EMEA 17 Jun 2020 British Airways British Airways will be hit by strikes when airline returns to the skies, passengers fear
EMEA 23 Jun 2020 Lufthansa Germany dares Lufthansa's billionaire top shareholder to scuttle $15b bailout
EMEA 26 Jun 2020 Qatar Airways Qatar Airways chief Al Baker on reactive approach to crisis
EMEA 09 Jul 2020 Industry Europe air travel hurdles reduce unevenly as capacity grows
EMEA 13 Jul 2020 British Airways British Airways’ Creative Deal With Pilots
EMEA 15 Jul 2020 Emirates Emirates revival signals slow end to A380 hibernation
EMEA 20 Jul 2020 Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic Resumes Passenger Flights After 3 Month Break
EMEA 03 Aug 2020 Government Germany to start testing returning travellers
EMEA 06 Aug 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa is looking beyond 2024 for the recovery in air travel
EMEA 11 Aug 2020 Government UK's Heathrow Airport passenger numbers down 88% amid ongoing travel restrictions
EMEA 18 Aug 2020 Government CDC lifts travel warning as Bermuda ramps up testing to suppress coronavirus
EMEA 25 Aug 2020 Emirates Emirates And Etihad Ask Flight Crew To Take Unpaid Leave
EMEA 01 Sep 2020 Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines Unions Agree To Wage Cuts To Save Jobs
EMEA 08 Sep 2020 Government UK government to set out aviation recovery strategy ‘this autumn’
EMEA 14 Sep 2020 Air France Air France’s Survival ‘Guaranteed’ by French After Dutch Warning
EMEA 15 Sep 2020 Air France Air France-KLM Now Offering Fully Refundable Vouchers
EMEA 15 Sep 2020 Industry Spanish airlines see tough winter after disastrous summer
EMEA 21 Sep 2020 Air France Bailout insufficient for Air France-KLM, says CEO
EMEA 28 Sep 2020 British Airways Half Of British Airways’ Boeing 747s Have Now Been Retired
EMEA 13 Oct 2020 British Airways Who Is Sean Doyle – British Airways’ New CEO
EMEA 12 Oct 2020 Government Ireland Looks To Introduce COVID-19 Testing For Travellers
EMEA 16 Oct 2020 Air Serbia Air Serbia Launches Recruitment Push
EMEA 21 Oct 2020 KLM KLM starts second round of voluntary departure scheme
EMEA 20 Oct 2020 Iceland Air Icelandair plans for 30% capacity cut in summer 2021 schedule
EMEA 26 Oct 2020 KLM KLM CEO Says European Aviation Will Look Like The US In 10 Years’ Time
EMEA 16 Mar 2020 KLM KLM retiring 747s early
EMEA 20 Mar 2020 Air France AF-KLM reveals "very significant" cutbacks