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 This page is no longer updated but remains a source for looking back on the events our industry weathered during our toughest times.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 16 Mar 2020 Hawaiian Airlines Systemwide flight capacity cuts in April and May
APAC 17 Jun 2020 Government Taiwan to Ease Border Controls for Corporate Travelers Starting Next Week
EMEA 30 Jun 2020 Air Portugal TAP Air Portugal to cut more aircraft as losses mount
EMEA 27 Jul 2020 Air Portugal TAP Air Portugal to reach 40% of pre-Covid network in September
EMEA 07 Sep 2020 Air Portugal TAP awarded first €500 million of state rescue loan
EMEA 26 Sep 2020 Air Portugal TAP defers lease payments and looks to sell up to eight aircraft
EMEA 28 May 2020 Air Portugal TAP to Resume Service to North America Next Week
Global 06 Jul 2020 Government TECHNOLOGY WILL HELP PROTECT ‘TRAVEL BUBBLES’ FROM POPPING
North America 30 Sep 2020 Government Tens of thousands of airline workers are out of jobs after Congress fails to reach deal
APAC 14 Sep 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways aims to hold creditors’ meeting in early 2021
APAC 07 Oct 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways Continues Offering Flights Despite Schedule Suspension
APAC 30 Apr 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways Gets $1.8 Billion Government Bailout
APAC 24 Mar 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways Grounds All Flights
APAC 26 Jul 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways Has Defaulted On Nearly $3 Billion Worth Of Debt
APAC 15 Jun 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways Insists Jobs Wont Be Lost In The Short Term
APAC 17 Aug 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways Lost $900m In The First Half Of 2020
APAC 15 Sep 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways Restructuring Approved By Court
APAC 16 Nov 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways Selling Everything From Cutlery To Boeing 747s In Bid To Raise Funds
APAC 14 Jul 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways Suspends Normal Operations Until September
APAC 31 Mar 2020 Thai Airways Thai Airways to ground most of its fleet, seeks liquidity boost
APAC 16 May 2020 Thai Airways Thai Government Open To Bankruptcy For Thai Airways
APAC 07 Apr 2020 Government Thailand extends ban on incoming passenger flights
APAC 25 May 2020 Government Thailand looking at quarantine waiver for selected tourists
APAC 14 Dec 2020 COVID-19 Thailand now open to the whole world
APAC 30 Jun 2020 Government Thailand to ease international flight ban
APAC 29 Sep 2020 Government Thailand to slowly restart tourism with flight from China
APAC 07 Sep 2020 Government Thailand tourism collapse poses existential crisis for airlines
North America 14 Dec 2020 Air Canada The Air Canada strike that came too close to Christmas
Global 27 Mar 2020 COVID-19 The Airlines Most in Danger of Going Under During the Crisis
North America 09 Nov 2020 COVID-19 The Bahamas now requires a Covid test on Day 5
North America 02 Oct 2020 Government The Bahamas' new travel policies will eliminate quarantine rules
North America 25 Mar 2020 COVID-19 The Case for Shutting Down U.S. Airlines Now
EMEA 12 Jun 2020 Industry The Darkest Hour Is Over: Middle Eastern Carriers Slowly Ramp Up Flights
EMEA 13 Oct 2020 Industry The EU Introduces Plan to Make Covid-Era Travel Less Confusing
North America 17 Apr 2020 American Airlines The government could end up with a big stake in AA
EMEA 21 Sep 2020 Air Serbia The Impact Of COVID-19 On Air Serbia
Global 08 Jul 2020 Industry The long shadow of COVID-19
APAC 10 Jul 2020 Government The Maldives Is Reopening and, Yes, Even Americans Are Allowed
EMEA 27 Apr 2020 Norwegian Air The New Norwegian: Fewer Planes, Fewer Routes, More Ancillary Revenue
Latin America 17 Aug 2020 LATAM The trickle continues in LATAM Argentina: 1,100 employees have already left
North America 20 Oct 2020 Government The Trump administration let aviation companies lay off more than 16,500 workers while taking coronavirus relief funds — some used the money to pay executives — according to a congressional report
Global 08 Sep 2020 Industry The TSA Begins Testing Biometric Recognition Checkpoints
EMEA 18 Oct 2020 Government The UK’s Quarantine Exemption List – What Is The Latest Update?
Multiple 02 Oct 2020 Government The United States And Bangladesh Sign A New Open Skies Agreement
EMEA 27 May 2020 Government Theatres, cinemas, summer camps to reopen as Swiss relax virus curbs
Global 15 Jun 2020 Government These Are the Barriers Preventing Business Travel Bubbles From Catching On
North America 16 Oct 2020 Government Thousands arrive in Hawaii on the first day of pre-travel testing
Europe 23 Nov 2020 Lufthansa Three Lufthansa Group Airlines Got New CEOs Last Week
APAC 25 Mar 2020 Tigerair Tigerair Australia flights temporarily suspended effective immediately
Global 09 Sep 2020 Industry To ease travel, agency groups offering rapid Covid testing