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 This page is no longer updated but remains a source for looking back on the events our industry weathered during our toughest times.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 23 Jul 2020 Industry Airline Face Mask Policies Are Getting Stricter
North America 03 Aug 2020 Industry A Lot of ‘Ifs’
North America 13 Aug 2020 American Airlines American Airlines becomes the final major US carrier to ban masks with valves
North America 19 Aug 2020 Southwest Southwest Airlines Pulls Out Of US Treasury CARES Loan
North America 17 Aug 2020 Air Canada Air Canada promoting ‘leisure’ travel to U.S. despite advisories warning against non-essential trips
North America 20 Aug 2020 Southwest Inconsistent Recovery Leads Southwest To Cut October Schedules
North America 27 Aug 2020 United United Airlines Confirms Largest Pilot Cuts in 94 Years of Operation
North America 03 Sep 2020 United United Introduces New Tools To Help Passengers Plan Travel
North America 08 Sep 2020 Delta How Delta Set the Standard for the Airline Industry's COVID-19 Response
North America 05 Sep 2020 Government US Passengers Must Submit COVID-19 Tests Before Flying To China
North America 16 Sep 2020 Southwest Southwest Extends Distanced Seating Policy to Nov. 30
North America 01 Oct 2020 Delta Delta says it will be avoiding and delaying furloughs
North America 24 Sep 2020 United United to Offer Pre-Flight Covid-19 Testing for Hawaii Travel Next Month
North America 12 Oct 2020 Southwest Southwest Pilots Union Not Onboard With 10% Pay Cut
North America 15 Oct 2020 Industry ARC: Sept. Monthly Agency Air Ticket Sales Surpass $1B, First Time Since March
North America 21 Oct 2020 American Airlines 98% Of American Airlines’ Passengers Are Happy To Fly On Full Planes
North America 26 Oct 2020 Air Canada Air Canada Adding Doha To Its Route Network With A Boeing 787-9
North America 22 Oct 2020 Government Calgary To Trial Scrapping Quarantine For Some International Arrivals
North America 09 Nov 2020 Hawaiian Airlines Interview: How Hawaiian Airlines Is Coping With COVID-19
North America 09 Nov 2020 Expedia Expedia Group announces improved financial results in third quarter trading update
North America 23 Nov 2020 United United says Covid-19 spike is hitting air travel -- again
North America 23 Nov 2020 COVID-19 U.S. Borders Will Remain Largely Closed to Mexico and Canada Through at Least December 21
North America 14 Dec 2020 American Airlines American Airlines offers at-home COVID tests for US travel
North America 16 Mar 2020 Air Canada Postponed launches of new routes
North America 17 Mar 2020 American Airlines American Airlines jobs on the line
North America 31 Mar 2020 Air Canada Air Canada puts 16-500 staff on furlough; cuts operations
North America 07 Apr 2020 RavnAir Alaskan airline RavnAir lays off all employees, files for bankruptcy
North America 09 Apr 2020 JetBlue JetBlue to suspend operations at several airports around 5 major metro areas
North America 23 Mar 2020 Industry US airlines warn of 'draconian' steps if Congress fails to help
North America 27 Apr 2020 United United to Give Face Masks to Passengers From May
North America 28 Apr 2020 Industry Boeing terminates agreement to establish JV with Embraer
North America 04 May 2020 Air Canada Air Canada Announces New Safety Measures While Bracing for Long Recovery
North America 04 May 2020 Southwest Southwest alters boarding procedure for social distancing
North America 15 May 2020 United United Airlines Wants Back Into China But Regulatory Hurdles Remain
North America 19 May 2020 Air Canada Air Canada Details New Sanitization Protocols
North America 24 May 2020 American Airlines Why Chatter About An American Airlines Bankruptcy Is Nonsense
North America 28 May 2020 American Airlines American Airlines CEO: ‘We are definitely seeing more demand’
North America 31 May 2020 JetBlue JetBlue CEO discusses COVID-19's impact on airlines
North America 08 Jun 2020 Alaska Airways Alaska Airlines Owes Nearly $600 Million in Credits to Travelers That Could Hurt a Recovery
North America 16 Jun 2020 Southwest Southwest extends limited seating on flights through September
North America 24 Jun 2020 American Airlines Government Urged To Buy American Airlines’ Middle Seats
North America 30 Jun 2020 Government CDC director says airlines shouldn’t allow full planes
North America 09 Jul 2020 United United and American Airlines cancel Hong Kong flights over crew Covid-19 tests
North America 13 Jul 2020 Air Canada Air Canada undertakes two Covid-19 biosafety initiatives
North America 15 Jul 2020 American Airlines American Airlines to warn 25,000 workers of potential furloughs
North America 28 Jul 2020 United United Airlines offers insight on demand patterns
North America 11 Aug 2020 Air Canada Air Canada is revamping its Aeroplan loyalty program in an effort to make it easier to use. BUSINESS Air Canada to launch revamped Aeroplan amid devastated travel industry
North America 24 Aug 2020 American Airlines EPA Grants Special Approval to American Airlines for Antiviral Product
North America 02 Sep 2020 United United Airlines to involuntarily furlough 16,370
North America 10 Sep 2020 United United Airlines Reaches Deal To Avoid Pilot Furloughs