New York
Fears of massive bankruptcies and calls for emergency bailouts swept global airlines Tuesday as a top US official warned the coronavirus crisis threatens the industry even more than the September 11 attacks, which saw US airspace shut down entirely.
Italy moved to take over insolvent Alitalia while Sweden and Denmark offered 275 million euros in guarantees to help prop up Scandinavian carrier SAS. In the United States, airlines sought $50 billion in help from the government as the White House prepared a reportedly $850 billion plan to support the entire economy.
“This is worse than 9/11 for the airline industry — they are ground to a halt,” US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.
Industry officials said most airlines face burning through their cash reserves in three months or less. And airlines warned that vital air cargo could be impacted by the shutdown of 185,000 passenger flights around the world. “Most airlines in the world will be bankrupt” by the end of May, Market intelligence firm CAPA warned. “If the crisis will continue at that intensity, it’s clear we will see a consolidation,” Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association, said in Geneva.
More airlines slashed flights Tuesday as millions of passengers canceled travel to self-quarantine and countries blocked arrivals to stem the spread of the COVID-19 infection. Belgium-based Brussels Airlines, a Lufthansa subsidiary which operates 48 aircraft, suspended all flights for at least a month on Tuesday. Lufthansa has already cut back flights by 90 percent. In Australia, Qantas slashed international capacity by 90 percent early Tuesday, as the government required that anyone arriving from abroad needs to isolate themselves for 14 days to be sure they are not carrying the virus.
Italy’s government said it would take over Alitalia, the former flag carrier already mired in bankruptcy negotiations since 2017. “At a time like this, a flag carrier gives the government more leeway,” said Deputy Economy Minister Laura Castelli. “We all saw the difficulties our compatriots faced in returning to Italy. Our decision stems from this.” Even with the takeover, the plan was to furlough 4,000 of Alitalia’s 11,000 employees.
In Russia, Alexander Neradko, head of the federal agency Rosaviation, said their airlines, hit beginning in February with the shutdown of flights to China, the original epicenter of the virus, were also in trouble.—AFP
