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 This page is no longer updated but remains a source for looking back on the events our industry weathered during our toughest times.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 11 Sep 2020 Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian’s Operations Are At 40% Of Pre-COVID Levels
APAC 23 Nov 2020 Etihad Etihad Airways and EL AL Israel Airlines sign MoU
EMEA 07 Sep 2020 Etihad Etihad Airways Begins Offering Complimentary COVID-19 Insurance
Asia Pacific 16 Nov 2020 Etihad Etihad Airways To Ground Its A380 Fleet Indefinitely
EMEA 27 Jul 2020 Etihad Etihad And Emirates Passengers Will Need COVID-19 Tests Before They Fly
EMEA 22 Jun 2020 Etihad Etihad Develops Covid-19 Risk-Assessment Tool
EMEA 06 Oct 2020 Etihad Etihad Sees Widespread Collaboration During Travel’s COVID Recovery
EMEA 13 Jul 2020 Etihad Etihad To Offer At Home COVID-19 Tests Before Flights
EMEA 14 Jul 2020 KLM EU Approves $3.8 Billion Bailout Package to Dutch Airline KLM
EMEA 04 May 2020 Air France EU clears 7 billion euros in state aid for Air France
EMEA 01 Jul 2020 Government EU Confirms United States Travelers Will Be Banned Upon Reopening
EMEA 26 May 2020 Industry EU seeks airline input on new virus guidance
EMEA 13 Oct 2020 Government EU traffic light scheme will mean ‘borders remain effectively closed’
EMEA 14 Sep 2020 Government Eurocontrol laments ‘backwards’ progress as recovery track diverges
EMEA 09 Jul 2020 Industry Europe air travel hurdles reduce unevenly as capacity grows
Multiple 13 Oct 2020 Industry Europe and U.S. Suffer Worsening Travel Performance in September: Skift Recovery Index Insights
North America 21 May 2020 Air Canada Europe Lifts Coronavirus Travel Restrictions, But Air Canada Waits To Resume International Flights
EMEA 19 Aug 2020 Industry European air traffic forecast cut. Capacity recovery loses momentum
EMEA 10 Sep 2020 Government European airline bailouts hit €26.6 billion: HSBC
EMEA 11 Aug 2020 Government European Airlines Ask Canada To Lift Travel Restrictions
North America 09 Nov 2020 Air Canada European Commission delays decision on Air Canada purchase of Transat until January
EMEA 15 Apr 2020 Government European Governments Weigh If It’s Time to Let Some Airlines Disappear
EMEA 23 Oct 2020 Industry European LCCs Cut Flights In Response To Second COVID Wave
EMEA 02 Oct 2020 Government European regulators propose extending temporary state aid exemptions
EMEA 11 Sep 2020 Government European tourism bodies plead for coordinated travel restrictions
EMEA 02 Sep 2020 Government European Union authorizes airline rescues
APAC 13 Apr 2020 EVA Air EVA Air pax down 78% in Mar-2020
North America 15 Oct 2020 Expedia Expedia claims OTAs in crucial position for travel industry recovery
North America 09 Nov 2020 Expedia Expedia Group announces improved financial results in third quarter trading update
North America 20 Oct 2020 Expedia Expedia Group Goes Deeper on Job Cuts
North America 20 May 2020 Expedia Expedia sees beginnings of recovery
North America 07 Jul 2020 Expedia Expedia signals private accommodation could be the recovery leader
North America 19 Mar 2020 Expedia Expedia Vice Chairman Tells Employees It’s Time to Focus and Help Our Travel Partners
North America 26 Apr 2020 Expedia Expedia’s Barry Diller Characterizes Removing Middle Seats on Airplanes as ‘Absurd’
North America 12 Sep 2020 Industry FAA Supports The Extension Of Slot Waivers Through March 2021
North America 08 Jul 2020 Government Feds fail to lead on aviation health and safety
APAC 23 Aug 2020 Fiji Airways Fiji Airways now ‘focused on survival’ after bumper year in 2019
APAC 03 Apr 2020 Fiji Airways Fiji Airways suspends all flights
EMEA 13 May 2020 Lufthansa Finance minister to meet Lufthansa boss over future of Brussels Airlines
Europe 23 Nov 2020 Government Finland Extends Entry Restrictions Until December 13
EMEA 19 Aug 2020 Government Finland returns travel restrictions for several countries
EMEA 10 Oct 2020 Finnair Finnair Announces Long-Term Recovery Personnel Incentives
EMEA 10 Sep 2020 Finnair Finnair Cuts October Flight Schedule By More Than Half
Europe 09 Nov 2020 Finnair Finnair defers delivery of three remaining Airbus A350s
EMEA 13 Oct 2020 Finnair Finnair develops ‘financial bazooka’ to survive crisis
EMEA 29 Apr 2020 Finnair Finnair Is Losing Approximately €2 Million Per Day
EMEA 19 Sep 2020 Finnair Finnair Partners To Offer Pre-Travel COVID Tests
APAC 09 Apr 2020 Finnair Finnair pax down 56.4% in Mar-2020, load factor declines to 58%
EMEA 01 Sep 2020 Finnair Finnair planning 1,000 redundancies and further temporary layoffs
Europe 14 Dec 2020 Finnair Finnair Receives Credit Support For More Than €100m Covering An A350