Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

[lumumba]

The titel about Lufthansa should be we will fly with a part of our fleet this summer.
They will not keep all there planes on the ground till October I had a contact with my travel agent and normally Africa and South America will be served that's good news.

[TLspotting]

3,200 employees in long term unemployment at Broughton factory of Airbus.

Frankfurt - Bristol route, which was to be launched by Lufthansa in March is postponed.

Aer Lingus extends its free rebooking until end July.

Corsair to fly from Chennai to Paris CDG on 6 May.

CityJet lost its contract with Aer Lingus on the DUB-LCY route..

Air Caraibes A333 transfered from Orly to Châteauroux.

Antonov 225 landed at Montréal-Mirabel.

Embraer 145 HOP! retired.

Lufthansa pilots agree to decrease their salaries by 45% during 2 years to help the airline.

ASL Airlines France flew with a B737-700 to El Calafete, Argentina, and back to Paris CDG, via Iguazú and Cabo Verde.

Maleth Aero A346 with "Thank you NHS" livery flew from Kuala Lumpur to Budapest.

Paris Orly should be closed until fall 2020 (and worse for CRL?)

[FLYAIR10]

As mentioned before there are still a few PAX-flights operating to/from BRU; (e.g; FCO,FRA,DUB,TUN,ATH,HEL,DXB,DOH,..)
Is there any info on :
- 'loadfactor' on these flights during the past weeks?
- any specific procedure passengers have to follow upon departure/arrival? (gov./airport and/or airline imposed)
- what kind of passengers are on board after all..? government-related, staff of NGO's,IO's, crew of other airlines, some stranded belgian tourists who finally reach back their home country,...?
Just wondering.

[flightlover]

As mentioned before there are still a few PAX-flights operating to/from BRU; (e.g; FCO,FRA,DUB,TUN,ATH,HEL,DXB,DOH,..)
Is there any info on :
- 'loadfactor' on these flights during the past weeks?
- any specific procedure passengers have to follow upon departure/arrival? (gov./airport and/or airline imposed)
- what kind of passengers are on board after all..? government-related, staff of NGO's,IO's, crew of other airlines, some stranded belgian tourists who finally reach back their home country,...?
Just wondering.

DXB by EK is most of the time a cargo charter flight although it is using the pax flight number.

[sn26567]

As mentioned before there are still a few PAX-flights operating to/from BRU; (e.g; FCO,FRA,DUB,TUN,ATH,HEL,DXB,DOH,..)
Is there any info on :
- 'loadfactor' on these flights during the past weeks?
- any specific procedure passengers have to follow upon departure/arrival? (gov./airport and/or airline imposed)
- what kind of passengers are on board after all..? government-related, staff of NGO's,IO's, crew of other airlines, some stranded belgian tourists who finally reach back their home country,...?
Just wondering.

For departures, it's simple: all departures are from Pier B, with a police control. Police will ask passengers to show that their flight is essential. Belgians are not allowed to leave the country, but for exceptional reasons (international organisations, government, etc.). Foreigners are allowed to return to their country.

Daily review:

Aer Lingus has told unions it is seeking staff cuts of around 20% due to the pandemic. The cut represents around 800-900 staff, with management promising to offer a voluntary redundancy program.

Air Canada expects to reduce 2Q 2020 capacity by 85 to 90% yoy, with 3Q capacity expected to be reduced by approximately 75% yoy.

Air Canada is accelerating the retirement of 79 older aircraft from its fleet – B767, A319 and E190 aircraft, with the Embraer aircraft exiting the fleet immediately.

Air Canada's US$517 million purchase of Transat AT is fueling jitters among some investors who would like to see the deal renegotiated with the aviation industry in turmoil.

Air India may partially resume its operations by mid-May 2020 as the carrier asks pilots and cabin crew to prepare to resume operations once lockdown ends.

Air Namibia will start flying again locally effective 06 May 2020. International flights remain suspended until further notice.

Airbus Canada Limited Partnership and Pratt & Whitney Canada to lay off a total of nearly 700 workers in Quebec, in separate instances.

Copa Airlines workers received their termination letter due to the crisis, with more likely to take various options, including retirement or contracts.

Croatia Airlines plans to resume domestic service on 11 May 2020 beginning with flights from Zagreb to Dubrovnik and Split.

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada has started a phased return to work of employees and a measured resumption of activities. In the first phase, approximately 100 employees have returned to work and DHC is focused on resuming pre-flight activities and delivery of DHC8-400 aircraft.

Embraer may obtain credit lines between US$1 billion and $1.5 billion from BNDES, and other lenders after a deal to sell its commercial aircraft division fell through. Proceeds from the loan would be used as working capital and export finance. Embraer may also be included in a relief program for national airlines.

Engine manufacturer GE Aviation is cutting roughly 13,000 jobs, or 25% of the workforce, as the parent company expands its planned cost-cutting efforts as the pandemic cripples the aviation industry.

GOL says it has enough cash to keep the airline afloat until the end of 2020 and still have significant reserves leftover, despite the crisis.

Icelandair Group says preliminary 1Q 2020 results indicate revenues fell by 16% between years to US$209 million. The carrier expects a goodwill pandemic-related impairment of approximately $115 million, while fuel hedges hit of $51 million on the EBIT results estimated at negative $208 million.

Lufthansa executive Kemal Gecer says the global airline industry will not be able to fully recover from the coronavirus crisis until 2022, as no major country would dare to open its international borders amid the pandemic.

Lufthansa pilots agreed to take a 45% pay cut over the next two years, a decision that will help the carrier save about US$374 million over the next two years.

Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce Holdings is planning to slash up to 8,000 jobs as part of a restructuring plan, which would shrink the company’s workforce of 52,000 by up to 15%.

Spirit AeroSystems will reduce employment by 1,450 at sites supporting commercial programs a result of lower demand for commercial aeroplanes. Spirit is also taking other initiatives to lower costs and preserve liquidity, which included raising US$1.2 billion in high yield secured second lien bonds in April 2020.

TAP Air Portugal is expected to receive up to €1 billion in state aid.

United Airlines began the process by which it could eliminate the jobs of more than a third of its 12,250 pilots as soon as 01 October 2020.

United Airlines confirms its May 2020 schedule is down 90% and expects the same in June.

United Airlines to now take 40 B737 MAX by end of 2021, less than half of previous plans. For 2020, eight B787-9s will still deliver, with eight -10s in 2021. The carrier will decide on any retirements of its fleet when it has a better view of the recovery process.

Colombia’s government opened the door to a purchase of shares in Avianca, who is having difficulties staying afloat in the face of the pandemic. Nothing has yet been decided yet.

Portugal’s plan to fly aircraft at two-thirds capacity as a measure during the pandemic was rejected by the European Commission, as Portugal needs a European decision on plane occupancy and it has to balance the need for passenger protection against ‘economic balance’.

[Passenger]

News from South Africa: Comair (= a British Airways franchisee in SA) and its lowcost carrier Kulula.com ask protection against creditors via the South African Business Rescue program.

https://www.fin24.com/Companies/Industr ... e-20200505

[sn26567]

Daily review:

Africa World Airlines is calling for additional support measures from the government of Ghana. The carrier wants the state to abolish taxes on the importation of aircraft and its spare parts.

Air Austral reports the continued suspension of Mayotte – Paris commercial flights until 31 May 2020 due to travel restrictions.

Corsair International may obtain financial assistance from the state, provided that its shareholders participate in the effort.

Croatia Airlines has suspended plans to launch seasonal flights from Zagreb to Sofia and Podgorica in 2020. The full domestic network is expected to restart by 18 May 2020.

IndiGo has further suspended the operation of all its scheduled commercial international and domestic flights until 17 May 2020, due to government travel restrictions.

LATAM Colombia asks the government to grant it loans with a grace period, as 100% of its aircraft in the country are grounded.

Qantas Group will now extend existing domestic and Trans-Tasman flight cancellations beyond end-May 2020 through to the end of June 2020. International flight cancellations will be extended through to end-July 2020.

Qantas has halted its plans for non-stop flights to London, Paris and New York due to uncertainty over demand in a post-coronavirus world.

Ryanair Holdings asked EU judges to cancel its approval of Sweden’s €450 million loan guarantees for airlines, the first of several potential lawsuits targeting European governments’ efforts to rescue selected airlines hit by a collapse in air traffic.

United Airlines plans to cut at least 3,400 management and administrative positions in October 2020 as the pandemic crushes air travel demand, and has told pilots to brace for changes as well.

United Airlines labour union says it is moving towards a suit charging that management illegally plans to furlough workers on 24 May 2020 after accepting a CARES Act grant that forbids furloughs before 01 October 2020.

United Airlines will stop operating all B757s and B767-400 and only operate some B767-300s, while the B787 becomes the “workhorse” of the international fleet.

Croatian government plans to assist Croatia Airlines in overcoming the financial fallout of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. After that, we will resume the process of seeking out a strategic partner.

Spain’s transport ministry is seeking to help airlines tap bank state-backed loans but more help may be needed.

Thailand’s government is ready to back a rescue package for Thai Airways International, but it will entail a full restructuring and there will be no second chances, says the prime minister.

[sn26567]

Daily review:

Lessor AerCap said it had boosted liquidity and reduced capital spending for 2020 by postponing jet deliveries, while withdrawing its full-year outlook. The lessor announced it had US$11 billion in liquidity to help ride out the crisis.

Aerolineas Argentinas and subsidiary Austral to begin the process of merging, to benefit from synergies in the wake of the pandemic. The merger aims to be concluded by end of 2020.

Air Greenland to cut 20% of its staff as part of a savings plan to get the airline safe through the crisis. The carrier is looking to save $32.7 million.

Airlines for America (A4A) says US airlines are collectively burning more than US$10 billion in cash per month and averaging fewer than two dozen passengers per domestic flight in the wake of the pandemic.

Alaska Airlines has determined that at least 12 mainline aircraft would be permanently parked, including 10 A319s and two leased A320s.

Lessor Avolon received requests for payment relief from more than 80% of its current owned and managed customer base. These lessees account for more than 90% of annualized contracted rental cash flow of the current owned and managed fleet. Avolon agreed to a number of rent deferral arrangements for an average of three months.

Ethiopian Airlines Group is prepared to come to the rescue of stricken carriers around Africa, with talks underway with Mauritius and South Africa.

JetBlue and Spirit Airlines allowed to halt some flights through 30 September 2020 amid the massive travel fall-off due to the pandemic.

Turkish Airlines has drafted a flight plan for June, July, and August 2020. The carrier will resume domestic flights in June and reintroduce international flights gradually.

Uzbekistan Airways to close down its ticket sales across its entire service offering for both domestic and international travel, until 30 June 2020 due to travel restrictions.

[Acid-drop]

[sn26567]

IAG CEO Willie Walsh (like Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary a few days ago) says it's not possible to do social distancing on an aircraft. Measures will have to involve face masks and disinfection. IAG won't fly with an empty middle seat.

[sn26567]

Michael O'Leary seems to have changed his mind about state aid. He now considers that the EU should allow state aid proportionally to the number of passengers transported. Since Ryanair is the airline with the most passengers in Europe...

[sn26567]

Daily review:

Aegean is asking the government’s help after the company suffered massive losses due to the outbreak. The carrier will take at least six months to recover and two to three years to reach pre-coronavirus levels.

Aerolineas Argentinas to launch of a new cargo division once the pandemic passes as part of its restructuring project.

Air France KLM partnership will not be forced to break up as part of an emergency aid package, says the Dutch government.

Air France-KLM French unions criticized calls by their Dutch counterparts for KLM to be given greater autonomy, amid signs that a multibillion-euro coronavirus bailout is increasing tensions within the airline group.

KLM is in talks with the government about extra conditions for support, including a pay cut from KLM staff. Pilots union VNV said it wants to discuss this matter with KLM, but also called on politicians not to interfere in this discussion.

Air France is asked by Airbus and Boeing to delay taking some widebody jets after a slowdown in manufacturing caused by the crisis. Some A350s will be pushed into 2021 and 2022, while B787s due in June 2020 will be pushed back.

Air Serbia may obtain government support for aircraft acquisitions to back the recovery and expansion of the carrier after the end of the coronavirus crisis.

American Airlines Group is parking its fleet of A330-200s in storage until at least 2022, with some B737-800s to potentially follow.

Austrian Airlines plans to cut 1,100 of its 7,000 staff by 2023, and cut salaries by 13% in that period.

Austria’s government wants assurances from Lufthansa Group that Austrian Airlines will maintain a hub in Vienna. Alternatives to state aid are being examined as well.

Cathay Pacific is looking at “structural change” as it investigates how to downscale its business in the wake of the pandemic. Scenarios include those that could reduce staff headcount, routes served and planes flown, as well as the possible consolidation of its airline brands.

El Al Airlines is extending the unpaid leave for 6,000 workers until 30 June 2020, a day after it said a suspension of scheduled passenger flights would remain in effect until at least 30 May.

Garuda Indonesia is reaching out to the holders of its sukuk to hold a discussion on repayments due in June 2020 as the airline struggles to maintain cashflow amid the turbulence caused by the outbreak.

IAG is planning a meaningful return to service in July 2020 with a planning scenario that could see an overall reduction in passenger capacity of circa 50% in 2020. IAG does not expect the level of passenger demand in 2019 to recover before 2023, making further Group-wide restructuring measures essential; as a result, IAG expects to defer deliveries of 68 aircraft.

JetSMART is in talks with the governments of Chile and Argentina about helping the sector amid the pandemic. Possible solutions include deferring tax payments and access to preferential loans.

Korean Air will reopen 19 international routes from the beginning of June 2020. The routes included Washington DC, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Frankfurt, Singapore, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur.

Montenegro Airlines may get less than the announced state aid of €150 million as the carrier is expected to fly less in the coming months.

SATA will extend the suspension of flights until 31 May 2020, with certain long-haul flights suspended until 06 June 2020.

Shandong Airlines expects a net loss of US$500-700 million in 1Q 2020 due to the pandemic.

Smartwings is asking the state for a loan guarantee of US$100 million. CITIC (China), which holds a 49.5% stake in the carrier, is open to giving back the stake to the Czech government for virtually free in the event of the worst case. The B737 MAX situation resulted in the damage of $59.9 million at 2019 end. The carrier is in talks with Boeing on the matter.

TAP Air Portugal will not get any more state funds without giving up more control to the government as the carrier is “technically bankrupt”.

Latvia is working to allow international air transport without restrictions after 13 May 2020.

[Atlantis]

Certain countries around us are receiving already more flights or will receive soon more flights.

KLM is opening week by week more destinations.
Czech is also going to start up their flights and AMS is one of their first destinations.
LH, Swiss and Eurowings are going to double their flights in June.

In Belgium is still everything uncertain. Borders stay closed. Also on the weekly meeting today was not good and positive news. Probably also the whole month of June technical unemployment.

It should be directed by Europe regarding opening the borders bcs this will create again huge competition who can fly and who not

[Sonho1985]

TAP Air Portugal will not get any more state funds without giving up more control to the government as the carrier is “technically bankrupt”.

How bad is 'technically bankrupt'?
I bought tickets, and I know that the chance that we'll go to Brazil at the end of July is... ahm... pretty small, but on the other hand they still have my money.

I mean... shit

[sn26567]

Daily review:

Air Astana will resume scheduled flights from Almaty and Nur-Sultan to regional centres across Kazakhstan following the end of the national state of emergency on 11 May 2020.

Air Lease CEO John Plueger expects to see more airline insolvencies and further consolidation after the pandemic halted most air travel, but that long-term fundamentals of air travel remained strong.

Air Lease is adjusting its forward delivery schedules with Airbus and Boeing to reflect significant delays in deliveries as a result of temporary production halts and lower production rates.

Air New Zealand to boost domestic capacity to 20% of usual levels once the country further loosens pandemic restrictions.

Air Serbia will resume a limited scheduled passenger air transport services on 18 May 2020, increasing to a comprehensive schedule on 01 June 2020.

AirAsia Philippines is cancelling all domestic and international Z2 flights until 15 May 2020, following the Philippine government’s directive of extending the community quarantine period in Luzon and parts of the country,

Boeing CEO David Calhoun said it could take years for the aviation industry to return to normal traffic levels and resume growth, both of which have been decimated by the pandemic.

Fiji Airways has extended all international flight suspensions to the end of June 2020, due to the prolonged impact of the pandemic.

Ryanair added three London Stansted routes, to Bucharest, Sofia and Porto, to its current limited flight schedule. These routes will recommence from 15 May 2020.

Sunwing has updated its suspension of operations, extending the suspension until at least 25 June 2020.

Wizz Air announced that its routes to and from Serbia remain suspended until 17 May 2020 inclusive due to the prolonging of existing travel restrictions announced by the Serbian authorities.

[Passenger]

173 Belgians, many of them stranded for weeks at Tenerife, flew home this afternoon with a flight that Foreign Affairs Brussels was unable to organize for them:
https://www.hln.be/in-de-buurt/zaventem ... ~afd1b234/

Their flight was operated by Enter Air (Poland) SP-ENU (737-800):
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... u#2477d0e5

[Sonho1985]

@Sonho1985 : sarcastically, I would say : hope that you will not be able to go to Brazil ! Do you know what the situation is like over threre at the moment (and it won't change for the better in the coming months ; I would not even exclude a military coup). Bolsonaro's Brazil is not pre Bolsonaro Brazil.

I know the situation in Brazil very well since my family lives there. Its current situation is comparable to the one in Northern Italy or Madrid about 4 weeks ago = out of control. Mayor cities are just now going in to serious lockdown (a bit too late), and lots of people on the streets still don't take it serious. My worries are not about be unable to travel this summer (because health is always more important), but about the possibility of losing the money that I did pay for the tickets if TAP goes bankrupt.

Am I hoping to be able to travel? Yes.

[Passenger]

Brussels, 8th May 2020. The European Commission has asked its Member States to extend restriction on non-essential travel to the EU until 15 June 2020.

The European Commission invited Schengen Member States and Schengen Associated States to extend the temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU for another 30 days, until 15 June. While some EU and Schengen Associated States are taking preliminary steps towards easing the measures for fighting the spread of the pandemic, the situation remains fragile both in Europe and worldwide. This calls for continued measures at the external borders to reduce the risk of the disease spreading through travel to the EU. The lifting of travel restrictions should be phased: as underlined in the Joint European Roadmap on lifting containment measures, internal border controls will need to start being lifted gradually and in a coordinated manner before restrictions at the external borders can be relaxed in a second stage.

Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said: “The overall objective of limiting the spread of coronavirus via reduced social interaction remains. Despite progress in many European countries, the situation worldwide is very fragile. It is imperative that any action taken is gradual, with different measures being lifted in different phases.” Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson underlined: “We need a phased and coordinated approach. Restoring the normal functioning of the Schengen area of free movement is our first objective as soon as the health situation allows it. Restrictions on free movement and internal border controls will need to be lifted gradually before we can remove restrictions at the external borders and guarantee access to the EU for non-EU residents for non-essential travel.”

The travel restriction, as well as the invitation to extend it, applies to the ‘EU+ area', which includes all Schengen Member States (including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania) and the 4 Schengen Associated States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) – 30 countries in total. The Commission calls for a continued coordinated approach to the prolongation, as action at the external borders can only be effective if implemented by all EU and Schengen States at all borders, with the same end date and in a uniform manner.

The Commission will continue to assist Member States in implementing the restriction on non-essential travel to the EU, including through regular videoconference meetings with Home Affairs Ministers. Any further prolongation of the travel restriction beyond 15 June 2020 would need to be assessed again, based on the evolution of the epidemiological situation.

Source: press release 8th May 2020:
EN:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pressco ... /ip_20_823
NL:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pressco ... /ip_20_823
FR:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pressco ... /ip_20_823

Official request to the Member States - pdf 249kB:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/fi ... vel_en.pdf

[Poiu]

According to Sky news, Virgin Atlantic could be very close to insolvency.
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus- ... s-11985678

[Passenger]

British newspaper The Times reports that the UK government will introduce a 14-day quarantine period for most people arriving from abroad. The government wants to avoid a second peak of the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday, prime minister Johnson is due to announce the next steps in Britain’s battle to tackle the novel coronavirus following a review by ministers of measures that have all but shut the economy and kept millions at home for more than six weeks. Karen Dee, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, replied: "Quarantine would not only have a devastating impact on the UK aviation industry, but also on the wider economy”.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news ... -67rnf9zjl