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Airlines across the globe are feeling the pain as travel demand withers because of the coronavirus outbreak, scrapping flights and ditching financial forecasts. Below is a list of how the world’s biggest airlines have responded (in alphabetical order):
Air France-KLM will park its biggest airliners and slash services by up to 90% over the next few days, it said on March 16. The group said it had identified measures to save 200 million euros ($223 million) in 2020 and ways to cut its capital expenditure by 350 million euros.
Air New Zealand said on March 16 it would cut long-haul capacity by 85% in the coming months and the domestic network would be reduced by 30% in April and May. The airline has withdrawn its full-year earnings outlook, frozen hiring and offered unpaid leave to staff.
American Airlines plans to cut 75% of its international flights through May 6 and ground nearly all its widebody fleet.
China Southern Airlines reported on March 18 a 73% drop in February passenger capacity, adding that the impact from the coronavirus epidemic remains uncertain. Delta said it has seen net bookings fall by 25% to 30% and expected the situation to worsen.
The airline has received over 4,500 requests from flight attendants for voluntary unpaid leave in April, according to a March 14 paper seen by Reuters.
The airline is cutting domestic capacity by 10% to 15% and international by 20% to 25%, freezing hiring, offering voluntary leave options to staff and looking at early retirement of older aircraft. The German carrier cut long-haul capacity by up to 90% from March 17, and said it would only operate 20% of planned intra-Europe flights.
El Al has sent 5,500 of its 6,000 workers on unpaid leave until May 31 after it slashed its flight schedule due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Emirates is asking pilots and cabin crew to take unpaid leave. On March 17, Finnair said it would cancel most of its flights until the end of June as it starts transitioning to a limited network.—Reuters
