Covid-19 ravages aviation industry

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.