Three major airline bodies have voiced their dismay at the European Commission’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, which has left cash-strapped airlines potentially facing unlimited passenger care and assistance bills.
The FAA said Mar. 19 that it will begin a thorough cleaning of the air traffic control (ATC) tower at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) after a controller there “presumptively tested positive” for the COVID-19 coronavirus, causing it to temporarily close the tower.
A growing number of airlines in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) have temporarily suspended flights as governments grapple to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Environmental groups have welcomed a decision by ICAO on eligible carbon credits under a scheme to offset emissions from aviation and believe the system is flexible enough to cope with the dramatic drop in global flights following the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
The European Commission has said airlines do not have to pay compensation for flights canceled because of travel restrictions put in place to slow the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak as they constitute “extraordinary circumstances.”
Malaysia Airlines Berhad CEO Izham Ismail has said the hasty and unilateral decision to enforce a nationwide lockdown of Malaysia resulted in severe disruption to the flag carrier’s operations.
Following increased government travel restrictions and a massive drop in demand related to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, Brussels Airlines, Latvian flag carrier Air Baltic and Italian regional carrier Air Dolomiti have all decided to temporarily suspend operations.
Chinese authorities will not allow any international flights to arrive directly in Beijing beginning Mar. 18, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has told airlines.
Boeing called for the U.S. government to provide a minimum of $60 billion in aid to the aerospace manufacturing community in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis that has cratered air travel and could trigger a worldwide recession.
The European Commission (EC) has sent member states a draft of proposed changes to state aid rules give them more flexibility to support companies hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as airline and airport groups called for more support.
Increasingly strict border and quarantine requirements are curtailing international air travel across Asia as governments across the continent ramp up their response to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis.
LCC Cebu Pacific (CEB) and Philippine Airlines (PAL) will suspend flights as quarantine measures are ramped up across the Philippines following the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
