Muhammed Ali Albakri, IATA Regional Vice President Africa, Middle East, talks about the latest cash and government challenges for a beleaguered aviation industry.
The three largest unions representing U.S. airlines flight attendants called on U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin not to seek ownership stakes in carriers receiving federal grants, warning that doing so could lead to massive job losses if airlines decide to forego aid.
Airlines need more stringent requirements to ensure pilots are protected from exposure to COVID-19, and the FAA should enforce U.S. Centers of Disease Control guidance on making workers aware of exposure to sick colleagues and ensuring work areas are adequately cleaned, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said.
Updated EASA guidance for operators still flying during the coronavirus pandemic recommends masks for most crew members and suggests turning off recirculation fans to help refresh cabin air more often.
GE Aviation, the aero-engine maker and service provider of General Electric, has begun a four-week furlough of workers in assembly and parts manufacturing, the company announced April 2, adding to a furlough program it unveiled last week in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
It will be “virtually impossible” for regional airlines to survive the COVID-19 crisis without government support, ExpressJet CEO Subodh Karnik has told Routes.
The pot of $25 billion in federal workforce grants being doled out to U.S. passenger carriers would provide them enough liquidity to ride out the COVID-19 crisis until year end, a team of Moody’s analysts have concluded.
