The Sunday Mail
Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on the aviation industry. The 100-year-old industry is on life support: Herewith snippets.
◆ Virgin loses more than 3 000 people including 600 Pilots;
◆ Virgin Australia files for bankruptcy;
◆ Air Mauritius goes into administration
◆ South African Airways close to bankruptcy;
◆ YOU grounds 22 planes and fires 4 100 people;
◆ Ryanair grounds 113 planes and fires 900 pilots and 450 more in the coming months;
◆ Norwegian stops long-haul activity, returning 787s to lessors;
◆ SAS returns 14 planes and fires 520 pilots.
◆ Scandinavian states are studying a plan to liquidate Norwegian and SAS to rebuild a new company;
◆ Etihad cancels 18 orders for A350, grounds 10 A380 and 10 Boeing 787. Lays off 720 staff;
◆ Emirates grounds 38 A380s and cancels all orders for the Boeing 777x (150 aircraft, the largest order for this type). They “invite” all employees over 56 to retire;
◆ Wizzair returns 32 A320s and lays off 1,200 people, including 200 pilots, another wave of 430 layoffs planned in the coming months. Remaining employees’ wages reduced by 30 percent;
◆ IAG (British Airways’ parent company) abandons the takeover of Air Europa (and will pay €40 million compensation for that);
◆ IAG (Iberia) grounds 56 planes;
◆ IAG (British Airways) grounds 34 planes and looks to make up to 12 000 employees redundant;
◆ Luxair reduces its fleet by 50 percent (and associated redundancies);
◆ CSA abolishes its long-haul sector and keeps only 5 medium-haul aircraft;
◆ Eurowings goes into bankruptcy;
◆ Brussels Airline reduces its fleet by 50 percent (and associated redundancies);
◆ Lufthansa plans to ground 72 aircraft (in two instalments).
◆ Hop is studying the possibility of reducing fleet and staff by 50 percent;
◆ 60 new aircraft stored at Airbus with no buyers in sight (order cancellations) including 18 A350s;
◆ Experts forecast a minimum of 8 000 grounded planes by September.